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AUIBR 


JULEPS  AND   CLOVER 


Juleps  and  Clover 


BY 

M.   VAUGHAN   WILDE 


And  has  not  such  a  story  from  of  Old, 
Down  man's  successive  generations  roll'd, 
Of  tuch  a  cloud  of  saturated  Earth 
Cast  by  the  Maker  into  Human  mold  ? 

— OMAR  K.HAXXAM. 


NEW  YORK: 

R.  F.    FENNO  &  COMPANY 

9  AND  I  I   EAST    1 6TH  STREET 


Copyright,  1898 

BY 

R.  F.  FENNO  &  COMPANY 


Juleps  and  Clover 


T5 


JULEPS  AM)  CLOVER. 


CHAPTER  I. 

But  come     ...     .     .     (and  leave  the  Lot 
Of  Kaikobad  and  Kaikhosrii  forgot : 
Let  Rustum  lay  about  him  as  he  will, 
Or  Hatim  cry  Supper — heed  them  not.) 

With  me,  along  some  Strip  of  Herbage  strown 
That  just  divides  the  desert  from  the  sown 
Where  name  of  Slave  and  Sultan  scarce  is  known  — 
And  pity  Sultan  Mahmud  on  his  Throne. 

Omar  Khayyam. 

"  THIS  air  is  like  champagne,  sir.  It 
fills  my  lungs  as  no  other  air  in  the 
world  can ;  "  and  the  speaker  drew  in 
a  long  breath  and  fanned  his  face  with 
his  black  slouch  hat. 

His  companion  smiled  grimly,  with- 
l 


2  Juleps  and  Clover 

out  replying  to  what  he  evidently 
considered  a  harmless  delusion ;  his 
Northern  blood  failed  to  respond  to  the 
quickening  influences  of  the  atmosphere 
the  other  man  found  so  exhilarating. 
A  few  moments  later,  the  two  horsemen 
emerged  from  the  shelter  of  the  woods 
into  a  low-lying  river  meadow  where 
the  direct  rays  of  the  midsummer  sun, 
beating  down  upon  them,  speedily  con- 
vinced the  Southerner  that  whatever 
merits  the  climate  might  have,  it  cer- 
tainly did  not  deserve  to  be  termed 
arctic.  Then  Wallace  Ayer  turned  in 
his  saddle  toward  his  friend  and  said : 

"  What  I  admire  in  you  Southerners, 
Lee,  is  the  absolute  unanimity  with 
which  you  all  agree  upon  the  beauty  of 
Southern  women,  the  merits  of  Southern 
air,  Southern  questions,  institutions — 
in  short,  everything  that  concerns  the 
South.  You  feel  called  on  to  flare  up 
at  the  slightest  criticism  of  anything 
that  affects  your  section  of  the  country. 


Juleps  and  Clover  3 

Now  in  the  North,  we  have  no  special 
respect  for  *  Northern  air  or  whiskey,' 
or  'Northern '  horses  or  hotels  as  such, 
and  would  never  dream  of  resenting  any 
general  criticism  of  our  institutions. 

"  If  I  were  to  tell  37ou,"  he  continued, 
"that  the  air  right  here  in  these  moun- 
tains, right  here  in  God's  country  was 
rather  hotter  and  more  stifling  than  I 
have  found  it  in  the  Sahara  Desert,  you 
would  probably  flare  up  at  the  sugges- 
tion." 

Howard  Lee  laughed  and  replied  good- 
naturedly  : 

"  Oh,  come  now,  you  must  not  take 
us  so  seriously.  We  live  by  ourselves 
a  good  deal  down  here  and  perhaps, 
have  become  a  trifle  provincial.  Those 
very  faults  you  speak  of,  have  their  use 
— they  all  serve  to  bind  us  to  our  coun- 
try, and  to  keep  us  in  the  road  laid  out 
by  our  ancestors.  Other  sections  of  the 
nation  could  follow  us  with  great  ad- 
vantage, in  that  respect." 


4  Juleps  and  Clover 

"  Perhaps  you  are  right,"  replied 
Wallace  Ayer,  "but  then,  too,  some  of 
us  have  ancestors,  though  we  don't  at- 
tach much  value  to  their  example. 
There  is  one  Southern  institution,  how- 
ever, that  I  do  admire,  without  any 
qualifying  adjectives  whatsoever,  and 
that  is  your  Southern  woman." 

"  Now  you  are  worthy  of  the  hospi- 
tality of  the  South,"  cried  the  Virginian. 
"  Why,  sir,  the  finest  work  of  the  Creator 
is  a  Southern  woman  who  can  make  a 
mint  julep  with  just  the  proper  quantity 
of  brandy  and  rum."  Lee  involuntarily 
moistened  his  lips  and  continued : 

"  The  very  idea  makes  me  feel  thirsty. 
In  this  fertile  country  nature  provides 
the  need  and  the  means  to  fill  it  at  the 
same  time." 

"Hum,"  returned  the  other,  glancing 
dubiously  at  the  turbulent  stream  roll- 
ing a  few  yards  away  through  the 
meadow  they  were  skirting,  "  the  Ma- 
nola  looks  to  me  somewhat  muddy." 


Juleps  and  Clover  5 

Lee  rode  down  to  the  river  bank. 
"  It  is  muddy,  two  parts  clay  to  one  of 
water,"  and  after  anxiously  scanning 
both  banks  of  the  rushing  stream,  he 
again  shouted  over  his  shoulder  to 
Ayer: 

"  Do  you  mind  a  rather  risky  ford  ? 
Can  you  swim?" 

"Not  much,"  answered  Ayer,  "but 
why  attempt  it  ?  " 

"Because  across  that  river  and 
through  the  woods  yonder,  two  miles 
from  here,  lives  a  Virginia  lady  who 
can  make  the  finest  julep  in  the  South," 
answered  Lee. 

"  These  North  Carolinians  know  noth- 
ing of  real  mint  julep,  sir." 

"It's  too  hot  to  ride  further,  so  we 
can  spend  the  evening  there  and  canter 
back  to  the  club  after  dark." 

"  Well,  I'll  take  the  chance  of  a  dip 
in  the  river.  But  do  you  know  the 
ford?" 

"  There  was  a  ford  a  few  years  ago, 


6  Juleps  and  Clover 

that  started  a  little  below  here  and 
crossed  the  river  obliquely,"  replied 
Lee,  "  but  as  the  river  is  swollen  from 
the  recent  rains,  I  doubt  whether  I  can 
find  it." 

Both  the  men  were  mounted  on  three- 
quarter  bloods — powerful  animals,  but 
badly  broken,  and  Ayer  especially, 
could  place  but  little  reliance  on  the 
good  behavior  of  his  horse  when  once 
in  the  water.  They  rode  slowly  along 
the  shore  until  they  came  to  a  gently 
shelving  beach,  which  Lee  declared  was 
the  beginning  of  the  ford.  Here  they 
turned  their  horses  into  the  stream  and 
allowed  them  to  drink  their  fill.  Then 
they  pushed  slowly  out  toward  deeper 
water. 

The  Manola  was  about  one  hundred 
yards  wide,  deepening  gradually  from 
the  bank  where  they  were,  until  at  the 
further  side  it  ran  in  a  fierce  current  of 
unknown  depth.  Piles  of  hewn  logs, 
driftwood,  dead  leaves,  underbrush,  and 


Juleps  and  Clover  7 

other  d(5bris  were  strauded  on  rocks  and 
shoals  here  and  there  throughout  the 
river,  rocking  and  swaying  with  the 
current. 

Lee  reined  in  his  horse  and  turned  to 
his  friend  with  a  laugh. 

"I  don't  believe  there  ever  was  a 
ford  here,"  said  he,  "  we  must  swim  or 
turn  back." 

"Then  we'll  swim,"  replied  Ayer, 
rather  nettled  at  the  suggestive  lack  of 
confidence  in  his  horsemanship,  and 
with  more  ado  he  urged  his  horse  for- 
ward. 

The  horses  waded  into  the  water  wil- 
lingly and  kept  their  footing  without 
much  effort,  until  a  third  of  the  way 
was  crossed.  The  water  rose  slowly  up 
the  legs  of  the  riders,  filling  their  boots 
and  creeping  over  the  saddles,  as  the 
horses  lost  their  foothold  and  settled 
down  to  swim.  The  farther  bank  was 
soft  and  yielding,  but  Lee,  who  was  in 
front,  succeeded  in  forcing  his  horse  up 


8 


after  several  violent  plunges.  As  he 
reached  the  top,  he  suddenly  turned,  and 
shaping  his  hand,  funnel-like  over  his 
mouth,  in  order  to  be.  heard  above  the 
roar  of  the  river:  "  Look  out,  that  log  is 
coming  down  on  you." 

Ayer,  in  the  act  of  urging  the  beast 
up  the  bank  glanced  quickly  back  and 
saw  a  mass  of  driftwood  which  had  ac- 
cumulated against  a  huge  oak  log, 
slowly  detach  itself  from  its  hold  and 
float  toward  him.  The  pile  had  been 
held  against  the  bank  by  some  sticks  and 
saplings,  and  these  had  been  loosened 
by  the  struggles  of  Lee's  horse  in  gain- 
ing the  shore. 

The  great  log  stuck  for  a  moment, 
but  the  force  of  the  current  on  the  mass 
of  rubbish  behind,  tore  it  free  from  its 
hold,  and  it  swept  down  the  river. 

Before  it  could  reach  him,  Ayer 
swung  his  horse  down  stream  and  sharply 
spurred  him.  The  river  ran  fiercely  and 
eddied  in  under  the  bank.  They  were 


Juleps  and  Clover  9 

on  the  outer  side  of  a  bend  and  the 
whole  volume  of  the  river  was  hurled 
against  the  shore  which  had  been  un- 
dermined and  was  jutting  cliff-like  above 
the  water.  Magnolia  and  oaks  tangled 
with  wild  grapevine  leaned  far  out 
from  the  bank  with  exposed  roots  which 
threatened  to  drag  Ayer  from  his  horse 
as  he  swept  under  them.  The  logs  and 
driftwood  had  parted  company  and  were 
racing  like  terror-stricken  soldiers,  close 
behind  horse  and  man.  Before  him  the 
bank  towered  higher  and  higher  until 
around  the  bend  it  became  a  small  bluff. 
Not  a  foothold  was  there  for  man  or 
beast  on  that  clay-bound  shore,  and  he 
realized  there  was  but  one  chance  to 
save  his  horse.  Slipping  gently  from 
the  saddle  into  the  water,  he  let  his  legs 
float  as  near  the  surface  as  possible,  to 
avoid  the  hoofs  of  the  animal,  who  was 
now  laboring  painfully  in  the  current 
which  twisted  and  swung  him  around 
like  a  straw  in  a  whirlpool,  now  dashing 


lo  Juleps  and  Clover 

him  against  the  slippery  bank,  now 
hurling  him  against  the  masses  of  drift- 
wood. 

Ayer  clung  to  the  pommel  with  his 
left  hand  and  guided  his  horse  with  the 
other.  By  this  means  he  kept  well 
ahead  of  the  log  which  was  booming 
along  with  tremendous  speed,  crashing 
through  the  roots  and  debris  caught 
against  the  bank,  until  suddenly  as  the 
bend  was  almost  passed,  a  fallen  tree 
confronted  him.  Clinging  by  its  roots 
to  solid  earth,  the  trunk  and  branches 
of  an  immense  elm  projected  some 
eighty  feet  into  the  river.  As  the  cur- 
rent dashed  horse  and  rider  against  it, 
Ayer  sprang  clear  of  his  plunging  ani- 
mal and  dived. 

The  current  caught  him,  turned  him 
over  and  over  and  lodged  him  among 
the  submerged  branches.  He  made  one 
desperate  plunge,  grasped  a  solid  hold, 
lost  it,  seized  it  again  and  drew  his  head 
above  water. 


Juleps  and  Clover  11 

Gasping  for  breath  and  shaking  off 
the  water,  he  slowly  and  painfully 
pulled  himself  up  on  the  tree.  He 
looked  around.  No  horse  could  be  seen. 
The  river  ran  as  fiercely  as  ever,  but  it 
seemed  more  silent.  The  log  and  drift 
were  piled  up  in  hopeless  confusion 
among  the  branches  of  the  submerged 
end  of  the  tree.  Suddenly  the  mass 
raised,  and  there  appeared  well-nigh 
under  it,  his  horse,  which  with  one  tre- 
mendous effort  broke  clear  of  the  tree- 
top  and  floated  down  the  stream.  That 
effort  was  the  last  spasm  of  the  drown- 
ing animal.  Ayer  shouted  encourage- 
ment to  him  with  all  his  strength,  and 
the  faithful  beast  with  one  dying  strug- 
gle raised  his  head  above  the  stream  in 
his  master's  direction,  struck  half  out  of 
the  water,  and  then  sank  back  beneath 
the  surface  of  the  river. 

Ayer  watched  with  breathless  inter- 
est the  convulsions  of  his  drowning 
horse,  and  when  all  was  over  he  drew 


12  Juleps  and  Clover 

himself  slowly  from  limb  to  limb  of  the 
gigantic  elm  tree,  and  so  gained  the 
shore,  not  without  confronting  more 
danger,  however,  as  the  fallen  monarch 
of  the  forest  still  tottered  on  its  ruined 
throne,  and  swayed  by  the  torrent,  it 
seemed  bent  on  tossing  back  its  human, 
burden,  to  the  waters  beneath. 


CHAPTER  II. 

Look  to  the  Rose  that  blows  about  us — "  Lo, 
Laughing,"  she  says,  "  into  the  World  I  blow; 

At  once  the  silken  Tassel  of  my  Purse 
Tear,  and  its  Treasures  on  the  Garden  throw." 
Omar  Khayyam. 

WHILE  Ayer  was  struggling  in  the 
Manola,  Lee  had  made  every  effort  to 
keep  abreast  of  him  on  the  bank.  The 
dense  underbrush  had  forced  him  to 
take  a  circuitous  route,  and  it  was  only 
with  the  utmost  difficulty  that  he  made 
any  progress.  His  horse  stumbled  and 
tripped  over  the  tangled  roots  and 
hanging  grapevines,  and  the  rider  was 
struck  repeatedly  by  the  low  swinging 
boughs  and  nearly  swept  off  his  horse. 
Lee  did  not  have  much  anxiety  about 
his  companion  however,  as  lie  knew 
Ayer  was  a  thorough  horseman,  and  be- 
lieved he  would  extricate  himself  with- 
13 


14  Juleps  and  Clover 

out  serious  trouble  from  his  difficult 
situation.  So  that  when  he  heard 
Aj'er's  shout  and  broke  through  to  the 
point  from  whence  it  came,  he  was  sur- 
prised to  find  his  comrade  without  his 
horse. 

"  Lee,"  said  Ayer,  as  his  friend  rode 
up,  "I've  lost  the  best  horse  in  the 
state.  He  went  down,  poor  fellow, 
just  below  that  eddy  by  the  snag  there. 
We  must  get  him  out  and  give  him  a 
decent  burial — he  was  too  fine  an  ani- 
mal for  the  fish  and  buzzards." 

Ayer  then  gave  Lee  a  more  detailed 
account  of  the  accident  as  he  drew  off 
his  boots  and  poured  out  the  water. 

"  We  can  probably  find  your  horse 
stranded  on  some  of  the  mud  bars  down 
the  river,"  said  Lee,  as  his  friend  con- 
cluded his  story,  "  and  can  at  any  rate 
get  the  saddle  and  bridle,  but  we  would 
better  hurry  over  to  Peters'  before  you 
feel  the  chill  settling  in  your  bones." 

"Not  much  danger  of  a  chill  on  a 


Juleps  and  Clover  15 

day  like  this,"  replied  Ayer,  "but  I 
should  not  mind  a  nip  of  that  mint 
julep  you  were  talking  about  a  few  mo- 
ments ago.  Don't  think  Mrs.  Peters 
will  object  to  my  appearance,  do  you, 
Lee  ?  My  hat's  gone." 

"  Your  appearance  is  all  right ;  we 
don't  bother  about  ceremony  down 
here.  Give  me  your  coat  and  then 
pick  a  way  through  the  brush  for  my 
horse,  or  I'll  get  my  eyes  prodded  out 
by  some  of  these  branches." 

"All  right,  but  which  way  is  the 
road?"  inquired  Ayer,  starting  toward 
an  opening  in  the  tangled  thicket. 

"Straight  ahead,"  replied  Lee.  "I 
can't  get  through  there  on  horseback." 

"  Then  get  off  and  lead  him.  It's 
the  only  way.  You  should  be  thankful 
you  are  on  dry  land,"  laughed  Ayer, 
watching  his  companion  half  slide  and 
half  fall  off  his  horse,  after  trying  to 
force  out  of  his  way  a  three  inch  maple 
bough  which  just  cleared  the  saddle. 


16  Juleps  and  Clover 

"  You  don't  seem  to  care  much  about 
losing  a  valuable  mount,"  replied  Lee, 
"  you  Northerners  are  disgustingly  rich. 
Stand  and  watch  three  hundred  dollars 
disappear  in  the  river  and  joke  about 
it." 

Ayer's  face  became  serious  and  he 
said  more  slowly :  "  I  am  sorry  for  the 
poor  brute.  He  fought  hard  and  I  love 
any  thing,  man  or  beast,  that  dies  game." 

After  a  half  hour's  sharp  work,  they 
emerged  into  a  clearing  which  proved 
to  be  part  of  the  Peters'  plantation. 
As  they  drew  near  the  rambling  old 
house  they  saw  on  the  veranda  several 
persons — two  ladies  and  three  men. 

"  Lee,"  said  Ayer,  "  I  think  I  shall  be 
much  more  presentable  on  horseback 
after  my  ducking,  and  I  wish  you  would 
change  places  with  me.  I  can  take 
your  horse  down  to  the  stable  and  wait 
there  while  you  explain  to  Mr.  Peters. 
He  then  may  send  me  down  some  dry 
clothes.  I  don't  want  to  make  my  ini- 


Juleps  and  Clover  17 

bow  before  those  two  pretty  women 
in  such  garb  as  this." 

Lee  assented,  and  the  change  was 
quickly  made.  The  two  then  moved 
up  over  the  level  greensward  toward 
the  house.  Just  as  he  was  about  to 
direct  Ayer  to  the  negro  quarters  and 
the  stables  beyond,  Frazier  Peters  spied 
them,  and  running  down  the  steps, 
greeting  Lee  with  profuse  hospitality ; 
would  hear  to  nothing  but  that  they 
must  come  up  and  be  presented  to  the 
ladies  at  once.  After  shaking  hands, 
Lee  turned  toward  Ayer  and  said: 
"This  is  my  Yankee  college  chum, 
Wallace  Ayer,  of  New  York,  whom  I 
have  persuaded  to  join  with  me  in  buy- 
ing some  of  the  timber  around  here. 
He's  a  good  fellow  for  a  Yankee — loves 
us  Southerners,  and  tries  hard  to  ap- 
prove of  our  institutions.  They  don't 
wear  hats  nowadays  in  New  York — and 
clothes,  as  you  see,  sag  a  good  deal  this 
season." 


i8  Juleps  and  Clover 

During  this  speech,  Ayer  shook  hands 
with  Mrs.  Peters  over  the  low  railing  of 
the  veranda,  and  twisted  a  little  un- 
easily in  his  saddle  as  Lee  gave  a  sly 
wink  and  laughed  heartily  at  his  own 
joke. 

"Mrs.  Peters,"  said  he,  "don't  mind 
Lee — that's  what  he  calls  badinage. 
The  Manola  is  responsible  for  my  ap- 
pearance, and  he  for  my  presence  here." 

Mrs.  Peters  laughed  merrily. 

"  We  are  delighted  to  meet  strangers 
in  this  remote  corner  of  the  world,  es- 
pecially when  they  are  Northerners,  and 
friends  of  Mr.  Lee.  Do  come  into  the 
house,  Mr.  Ayer,  Frazier  will  fit  you 
out  with  dry  clothes." 

Frazier  Peters,  who  was  a  portly  and 
most  placid  looking  gentleman,  hastened 
to  add : 

"  You  must  have  a  glass  of  some- 
thing, or  you  will  feel  the  chill.  We 
dread  chills  down  here  and  always  make 
it  a  point  to  guard  against  them  in  time. 


Juleps  and  Clover  19 

Come  in,  I've  got  plenty  of  clothes  that 
will  fit  you.  Here,  'Lish,  you  lazy  nig- 
ger, take  the  gentleman's  horse  down  to 
the  barn  and  give  him  oats,  sir,  oats,  do 
you  understand,  you  grinning  rascal  ?  " 

Ayer  gladly  accepted  Mr.  Peters' 
offer  and  dismounted.  Ffteen  minutes 
later  the  Northerner  emerged  from  his 
host's  room  with  his  compact  and  mus- 
cular frame  encased  in  a  white  duck 
suit  belonging  to  Mr.  Peters.  That 
gentleman  had  enjoyed  the  good  things 
of  life  and  was  short  and  decidedly 
stout.  His  best  duck  suit  had  there- 
fore on  Ayer's  figure,  the  fit  of  a  set  of 
Pajamas.  Ayer  groaned  silently,  as  he 
looked  down  at  the  extraordinary  ap- 
pearance he  presented  and  then  put  the 
best  face  possible  on  the  matter  and 
started  downstairs. 

When  he  reached  the  veranda,  Mrs. 
Peters  laughed  heartily,  as  also  did  Lee 
and  Miss  Gwynne,  to  whom  he  was 
now  introduced,  that  Ayer  speedily 


2O  Juleps  and  Clover 

entered  into  the  spirit  of  the  thing  and 
by  the  time  the  mint  julep  was  produced 
and  passed  around,  he  had  quite  forgot- 
ten his  clothes. 

Mr.  Peters  insisted  that  Lee  and  Ayer 
should  not  think  of  going  back  to 
Wainhill  that  night  and  sent  a  man  on 
horseback  to  the  Metropolitan  Club, 
where  Ayer  had  a  room,  for  some 
clothes.  Two  negroes  were  also  dis- 
patched with  ropes  to  find  and  bury  the 
drowned  horse,  and  bring  back  the 
trappings. 

Ayer  was  quite  at  home  with  the 
party,  when  the  dinner  was  served  at 
seven ;  and  when  he  found  himself 
placed  at  table  next  to  Miss  Gwynne,  he 
slowly  awoke  to  the  fact  that  she  was 
the  most  supremely  beautiful  girl  he 
had  ever  met.  Extensive  as  was  his 
knowledge  of  women  in  his  own  and 
many  other  lands,  Ayer  had  never  be- 
fore seen  such  eyes,  to  which  her  almost 
perfect  face  was  a  mere  setting.  Dreamy 


Juleps  and  Clover  21 

and  languid,  they  rested  on  him  in  a 
half  curious,  wholly  interested  manner. 
He  was  the  first  Northerner  Miss 
Gwyune  had  really  known,  for  in  her 
native  Georgian  town,  so  far  removed 
from  the  busy  haunts  of  men,  strangers 
never  penetrated. 

The  impression  of  her  beauty  on 
Ayer  was  only  transient,  however.  He 
merely  noted  the  fact  that  she  was 
beautiful,  very  young,  apparently  not 
very  bright  and  probably  as  badly 
brought  up  as  most  Southern  girls  he 
had  seen ;  so  he  turned  and  devoted 
himself  to  his  hostess. 

Mrs.  Peters  was  a  Virginia  woman, 
tall  and  finely  formed,  a  thorough 
woman  of  the  world  and  really  brilliant 
in  conversation.  Like  most  women  who 
are  well  married  to  a  husband  rather 
too  old,  and  decidedly  slow,  she  was 
fond  of  attention,  and  loved  a  little 
affaire,  quite  innocent  of  course,  but 
still  with  enough  snap  in  it  to  arouse 


22  Juleps  and  Clover 

the  torpid  blood  of  her  husband.  Un- 
der a  stimulus  of  this  sort,  Mr.  Peters 
would  invariably  pull  himself  together, 
abandon  his  quiet  solitaire,  chess,  and 
afternoon  siesta,  and  devote  himself 
with  all  his  youthful  fire  and  grace  to 
his  wife. 

He  would  ride  miles  with  her  in  the 
hottest  of  weather  to  pay  a  call;  would 
accompany  her  to  balls,  a  form  of 
amusement  he  detested,  and  would 
emulate  the  brightest  of  her  followers 
with  an  unexpected  flow  of  wit.  When 
he  was  at  length  thoroughly  aroused, 
for,  perhaps,  the  twentieth  time  in  his 
married  life,  to  the  fact  that  he  was  the 
luckiest  of  men  to  possess  such  a  charm- 
ing wife,  and  that  he  was  a  fool  to  think 
of  anything  else — when  that  state  of 
things  was  brought  about — Mrs.  Peters 
would  suddenly  become  absorbed  in  her 
husband  and  calmly  drop  the  poor 
attache  whose  attention  had  been  the 
cause  of  all  this  turmoil,  and  who,  to 


Juleps  and  Clover  23 

the  end  of  his  days  never  quite  knew 
what  had  happened  to  him. 

The  afternoon  that  Ayer  and  Lee  ar- 
rived at  the  plantation,  Mrs.  Peters  had 
been  looking  about  for  some  time,  un- 
able to  find  a  new  victim,  an  event  due 
solely  to  the  fact  that  there  had  been 
no  new  arrivals  in  Wainhill,  since  Mr. 
David  Barbs  of  Philadelphia  had  sud- 
denly departed  on  the  daybreak  train 
during  the  preceding  spring,  leaving 
behind  a  vast  range  of  conjecture  to 
account  for  his  haste.  In  consequence 
of  this  dearth  of  available  men,  Frazier 
Peters  had  relapsed  into  his  placid  som- 
nolent state  which,  interspersed  with 
julep  and  chess,  he  regarded  as  the 
proper  condition  in  hot  weather  for  a 
gentleman  and  a  Southerner. 

In  Ayer,  Mrs.  Peters  thought  she  de- 
tected precisely  the  proper  person  needed 
to  arouse  her  husband.  Lee  had  been 
through  the  mill  himself  some  three 
years  before  and  could  be  relied  upon 


24  Juleps  and  Clover 

not  to  warn  his  comrade.  Mrs.  Peters 
and  Lee  had  been  old  friends  in  Rich- 
mond, but  had  not  met  since  Mr.  Peters 
had  renounced  city  life  and  retired  with 
his  wife  to  his  native  Carolina,  after  an 
especially  exciting  but  harmless  affaire 
of  hers,  with  a  naval  officer. 

The  two  men  who  were  with  the 
Peters's  when  Ayer  and  Lee  arrived, 
proved  to  be  neighboring  planters  who 
had  little  to  say  for  themselves  at  din- 
ner, beyond  addressing  some  rather 
stilted  phrase  of  compliment  to  Miss 
Gwynne  or  Mrs.  Peters. 

They  drank  their  whiskey  straight, 
and  evidently  did  not  approve  of  the 
easy  savoir  faire  of  the  Northerner 
which  put  him  at  once  on  a  more  famil- 
iar plane  with  the  ladies  than  their  re- 
spectful and  serious  homage  had  at- 
tained in  years.  Parker  the  younger, 
seemed  quite  put  out,  at  what  he  whis- 
pered to  his  friend  Davis,  was  "  Damned 
Yankee  impudence,  sir,"  and  both  with- 


Juleps  and  Clover  25 

drew  when  the  cigars  were  lighted. 
After  Peters  had  seen  them  mount  and 
ride  off  into  the  darkness  he  returned 
to  the  dining-room  and  sank  with  a  sigh 
of  relief  into  his  armchair,  remarking 
to  Ayer : 

"Fine  specimens  of  our  Southern 
gentry,  sir,  fine  specimens,  but  they 
take  life  too  seriously.  Can't  say  that 
they  like  Northerners,  either,"  he  added, 
reflectively.  "  Major  Parker's  father 
was  killed  in  the  Peninsular,  sir,  and  Joe 
Davis'  family  lost  about  everything. 
He's  got  a  little  lead  in  his  right  leg. 
Noticed  the  limp,  didn't  }rou  ?  He  was 
the  youngest  of  four  brothers  in  Pick- 
ett's  charge.  Two  of  them  up  there 
yet.  Joe  was  sixteen  then.  You  should 
see  their  family  silver — finest  in  the 
state.  All  they  have  left  now  except 
land.  Can't  blame  them  for  a  little 
feeling,  sir.  You  folks  up  North  didn't 
turn  out  the  way  the  people  around 
here  did." 


26  Juleps  and  Clover 

"  Well,"  said  Ayer,  "  some  of  us  did. 
I  was,  of  course,  too  young,  but  my 
father  spent  four  hard  years  trying  to 
get  into  Richmond, — and  got  there  too." 

"  I  think,"  broke  in  Lee,  to  prevent 
a  conversation  on  so  dangerous  a  sub- 
ject, "  that  all  Southerners  respect  and 
honor  the  men  who  fought.  In  fact, 
what  little  feeling  remains  on  either 
side  of  Mason  and  Dixon's  line  is  among 
those  who  stayed  at  home." 

"  I  quite  agree  with  you  in  that," 
said  Ayer,  warmly.  "What  we  need 
for  a  complete  reunion  is  another 
American  party — we  Americans  are 
being  slowly  but  surely  pushed  out  of 
our  own  land  by  the  foreigners  we  have 
let  in.  Serves  us  right,  though,  we've 
got  too  much  so-called  '  liberality,'  and 
not  enough  race  pride." 

"Ayer  and  I  had  reached  that  con- 
clusion once  before  to-day,"  said  Lee ; 
"but  don't  you  think  we  would  better 
join  the  ladies." 


Juleps  and  Clover  27 

"  Why,"  said  Peters,  glancing  at  his 
watch,  "  do  you  know  what  time  it  is  ? 
It's  twelve  o'clock.  The  ladies  must 
have  retired  long  ago.  Mr.  Ayer,  you 
must  need  sleep  after  your  swim. 
They  have  given  you  the  red  room. 
My  man  will  bring  you  coffee  and  toast 
about  ten,  and  we  won't  let  you  go 
back  to-morrow  until  evening.  I  want 
to  show  you  over  the  place." 

Ayer  took  the  candle  handed  him, 
and  after  bidding  his  host  good-night, 
was  shown  to  his  bedroom  by  a  small 
darkey  boy,  called  'Lish.  'Lish's  chief 
occupation  in  life  seemed  to  be  that  of 
general  disturber,  in  the  household. 
He  possessed  a  persistent  faculty  for 
getting  in  everybody's  way.  Begin- 
ning with  the  master ;  to  the  cook  in  the 
kitchen,  and  so  on  down  to  the  hostler 
of  the  stables,  he  was  alternately  be- 
rated, scolded  and  petted.  What  his 
opinion  was  of  such  treatment,  no  one 
ever  knew,  for  through  all  his  many 


28  Juleps  and  Clover 

and  various  exciting  episodes,  'Lish 
kept  his  own  counsel. 

The  bedroom  was  spacious  and  well 
aired.  It  contained  a  comparatively 
modern  bed,  and  chintz  covered  fur- 
niture. The  amount  of  furniture  was 
scant  and  ludicrously  out  of  proportion 
to  the  size  of  the  room,  although  some 
of  it  was  very  old  and  valuable. 

The  matting  on  the  floor  was  new 
and  immaculately  clean,  and  Ayer  felt 
that  his  host,  while  not  rich,  was  cer- 
tainly far  removed  from  the  threadbare 
gentility  of  so  many  of  his  neighbors. 

A  row  of  books  on  the  mantel  at- 
tracted his  attention,  and  he  walked 
over,  and  with  the  aid  of  the  candle  ex- 
amined the  titles.  All  were  bound  in 
cloth  and  well  thumbed.  "The  Lost 
Cause,"  "  Holy  Bible,"  "  Shakespeare," 
"  Milton,"  "  Speeches  of  John  C.  Cal- 
houn,"  "Life  of  Jefferson  Davis,"  and 
Owen  Meredith's  "Lucille,"  stood 
ranged  in  strange  communion.  Just 


Juleps  and  Clover  29 

above  the  books  hung  a  fine  old  en- 
graving of  "  Wolf,  On  The  Plains  Of 
Abraham,"  while  flanking  either  side  of 
the  bed,  in  quaint  keeping  with  the 
mouldy  rose  flowered  wall-paper,  were 
two  cheap,  gaudy  prints  of  "The  Blonde 
Beauty,"  and  "  The  Brunette  Beauty," 
framed  in  a  narrow  moulding  which  had 
at  some  remote  period,  been  gilt. 

Ayer  smiled,  and  blowing  out  the 
candle,  dropped  to  sleep  with  the 
thought :  "  charming  people,  but  hope- 
lessly out  of  the  great  current  of  mod- 
ern life."  He  too,  possessed  much  of 
the  fast  disappearing  chivalry  which  he 
admired  and  laughed  at  in  others,  but 
in  his  make-up,  the  gentle  blood  was 
strengthened  with  sterner  and  stronger 
qualities. 


CHAPTER  III. 

And  much  as  Wine  has  played  the  Infidel 
And  robb'd  me  of  my  Robe  of  Honour — Well ! 

I  wonder  often  what  the  Vinters  buy 
One  half  so  precious  as  the  goods  they  sell. 

Omar  Khayyam. 

THE  next  morning,  Ayer  was  aroused 
by  'Lish,  who  brought  in  a  tray  of 
coffee  and  corn  muffins,  and  informed 
him  with  all  the  dignity  of  a  Methodist 
elder  at  campmeeting — that  his  horse 
had  been  found  and  buried.  'Lish 
threw  open  the  blinds.  The  sunlight 
and  fresh  morning  air  streamed  in, 
laden  with  the  dewy  fragrance  of  the 
honeysuckle  clustering  about  the  win- 
dow casings ;  and  beyond,  the  river 
crinkled  with  the  light  of  a  new  day. 

Nothing  human  was  in  sight  and 
Ayer  took  "  Lucille  "  from  the  mantel 
30 


Juleps  and  Clover  31 

shelf  and  ran  through  its  pages  as  he 
leaned  on  the  pillow  and  sipped  his 
coffee.  He  read  awhile,  and  then  lit 
a  pipe  which  'Lish  had  thoughtfully 
brought  with  the  coffee. 

u  Strange,"  thought  he,  "  that  a 
woman  like  '  Lucille  '  could  make  so 
much  trouble  and  rouse  such  world- 
lings as  Arthur  Vargrave  and  the  Due 
de  Luvois  from  themselves,  into  deeper 
feelings.  It's  so  much  pleasanter  to 
drift  along  and  avoid  the  intenser 
emotion.  Well,  I've  escaped  thus  far 
—but  I  suppose  my  time  will  come," 
and  laying  down  the  book,  he  recalled 
the  men  whom  he  had  known — the 
reckless  and  the  brilliant — the  conscien- 
tious and  plodding — all  alike,  they  had 
one  by  one  bowed  beneath  the  yoke  of 
matrimony. 

"  Love,  yes,  that  is  easy,  but  marry, 
never." 

Ayer  sat  up  at  the  thought.  As  he 
did  so,  there  was  a  light  knock,  the 


32  Juleps  and  Clover 

door  opened  and  Mr.  Peters'  face  ap- 
peared. 

"  Good-morning,  Mr.  Ayer,"  said  he, 
"I  hope  you  rested  well  last  night. 
Dress  and  come  downstairs.  I  want  to 
take  you  over  the  stables.  Oh  !  by  the 
bye,  my  man  has  brought  your  clothes 
from  the  club.  I'll  send  them  up." 
And  the  host  departed. 

A  few  minutes  later,  Ayer  once  more 
arrayed  in  presentable  garb,  came 
downstairs  and  found  on  the  veranda, 
Mrs.  Peters  and  Miss  Gwynne  quietly 
reading  in  easy  chairs.  The  sun  had 
now  reached  the  zenith,  its  hot  glare 
shrivelling  the  grassy  lawn  as  a  simoon 
from  the  desert,  even  the  leaves  on  the 
old  apple  tree  cornering  with  the  ve- 
randa, curled  up  their  velvetry  green- 
ish-gray edges  in  mute  protest. 

"I  hope  you  liked  the  red  room," 
said  Mrs.  Peters,  after  the  morning 
greetings  had  been  exchanged,  "  it's  the 
coolest  one  we  have." 


Juleps  and  Clover  33 

"I  slept  like  a  log,"  replied  Ayer, 
"  and  have  been  wondering  ever  since 
breakfast  why  you  call  it  the  red  room." 

"  I  can't  imagine  why,  but  it  has  al- 
ways been  called  so."  She  coquettishly 
waved  him  toward  a  low  seat  on  her  left. 
"  Sit  down  and  talk  to  us.  Frazier  is 
so  tiresome — always  dragging  men  out 
to  the  stables  and  down  to  the  new 
wine  cellar  in  such  hot  weather,  and  we 
see  so  few  visitors  here." 

"  Do  stay,  Mr.  Ayer,"  chimed  in  Miss 
Gwynne,  "  I  want  to  know  a  real 
Northerner ;  Mr.  Peters,"  continued 
she,  as  that  gentleman  appeared  in  the 
doorway, — "Mr.  Ayer  says  he  would 
much  rather  stay  here  in  the  shade 
while  you  take  Mr.  Lee  to  the  stables 
to  see  the  niggers  and  horses." 

"I  said  nothing  of  the  sort,  Mr. 
Peters  ;  "  laughed  Ayer,  "  but  as  a  mat- 
ter of  fact,  it  is  too  hot  to  go  out. 
Can't  I  see  them  later  in  the  after- 
noon?" 


34  Juleps  and  Clover 

"  Certainly,  if  you  prefer.  I'll  let 
Miss  Gwynne  show  you  around  then," 
and  Peters  disappeared  into  the  house. 

Ayer  chatted  an  hour  or  so  with  the 
ladies,  Mrs.  Peters  doing  most  of  the 
talking  and  the  younger  woman  break- 
ing in  occasionally  in  a  soft  accent  com- 
mon enough  in  the  extreme  South. 

Miss  Gwynne  was  spending  the 
season  with  her  relations,  the  Peters, 
in  what  was  to  her,  a  cool  summer  re- 
sort— the  Carolina  mountains — and  had 
as  yet,  rather  a  dull  time  of  it.  She 
was  nineteen  as  the  years  go,  but  in  ex- 
perience— could  probably  have  given 
her  flirtatious  cousin  Joy,  cards  and 
spades.  A  figure  that  was  large  and 
simply  superb  in  its  proportions. 
Beautiful  teeth,  and  a  mouth  whose 
corners  would  turn  up  in  the  most  pro- 
voking manner.  The  subtle  charm  of 
her  eyes,  and  voice  however,  were  her 
greatest  attractions,  and  their  influence 
made  themselves  felt,  slowly,  but  irre- 


Juleps  and  Clover  35 

sistibly.  This  fact  was  known  to  none 
better  than  to  Clover  Gwynne  herself. 
Ayer  found  in  her  a  new  type.  He 
was  so  accustomed  to  the  admiration  of 
women,  that  their  evident  preference 
for  his  society  hardly  excited  his  vanity. 

He  accepted  the  fact  as  a  birthright, 
along  with  many  other  advantages 
which  Nature  in  a  beneficent  mood  had 
seen  fit  to  confer  upon  him  at  his  birth 
— famous  ancestors — his  lithe,  muscular 
frame — fine  eyes — good  breeding — as 
much  a  matter  of  course,  as  his  well 
assured  position  in  New  York  as  a  so- 
ciety and  club  man. 

He  had  seen  through  Mrs.  Peters  the 
first  hour  he  talked  with  her,  had  per- 
ceived her  harmless  little  schemes,  and 
did  not  propose  to  forego  the  amuse- 
ment they  promised  him.  But  the  girl 
was  different.  Her  attitude  puzzled 
him.  She  did  not  respond  to  his  sallies, 
nor  show  any  signs  of  approval — al- 
though he  made — for  him — unusual  ef- 


36  Juleps  and  Clover 

forts  to  fascinate,  and  brought  forward 
his  most  amusing  stories  and  anecdotes; 
he  was  deeply  versed  in  the  light  gos- 
sip women  find  so  absorbing.  And  the 
girl's  presence  seemed  to  exhilarate 
him  as  a  strong  stimulant.  A  new  sen- 
sation to  one  so  blase*. 

When  a  little  later  he  was  summoned 
by  the  servant  to  Mr.  Peters  whom  he 
found  holding  forth  in  the  wine  cellar 
on  the  merits  of  Kentucky  whiskey, 
Miss  Gwynne  said  to  her  cousin : 

"I  thought  Northern  men  were  such 
boors.  This  one  seems  to  me  to  be  way 
beyond  our  Georgia  men.  He  has  seen 
more  and  knows  more  than  the  men 
down  here,  and  oh !  how  easy  and 
graceful  are  his  manners.  Isn't  he 
handsome  ?  He  makes  you  think  of 
one  whose  grandfather  must  have  been 
very  highly  bred.  They  always  told 
me  that  the  Yankees  were  such  vulgar 
people." 

"  Yes,  my  dear,"  replied  Joy  Peters, 


Juleps  and  Clover  37 

"  no  doubt  he  compares  favorably  with 
Georgians,  for  he  is  really  an  excep- 
tionally fine  gentleman,  but  you  should 
see  our  Richmond  men.  We  have  lots 
like  Mr.  Ayer.  Besides,  you  know, 
New  Yorkers  are  not  really  Yankees, 
and  generally  resent  being  called  so. 
They  are  to  my  mind,  the  most  civilized 
of  the  Northerners.  You  know  many 
of  them  sympathized  with  our  side  dur- 
ing the  war.  Although,"  she  added, 
after  a  moment's  pause,  "Frazier  tells 
me  Mr.  Ayer's  father  was  a  Union  offi- 
cer." 

"  I  am  glad  he  fought,  or  his  father 
did,"  said  Miss  Gwynne.  "My  father 
always  said  that  the  meanest  white  men 
alive,  were  the  copperheads  up  North." 

The  ladies  resumed  their  reading  and 
the  afternoon  sun  slipped  quietly  down 
behind  the  tree-tops  of  the  orchard. 

Miss  Gwynne  at  length  put  by  her 
book  to  watch  a  stray  cat  sniffing  around 
a  bed  of  mint,  which  was  the  particular 


38  Juleps  and  Clover 

pride  of  Mrs.  Peters.  Pussy  disap- 
peared in  the  mint,  and  Clover  turned 
toward  her  cousin,  giving  utterance  to 
her  thoughts. 

"I  think  the  men  might  like  some 
more  julep.  Mr.  Lee  said  yesterday 
that  you  Virginians  were  the  only  peo- 
ple that  knew  how  to  make  it,"  and 
then  after  a  pause,  she  added :  "  don't 
you  think  it  is  funny  that  two  men  so 
unlike  as  Mr.  Lee  and  Mr.  Ayer,  should 
be  such  great  friends  ?  I  don't  believe 
Mr.  Ayer  likes  Southerners.  Did  you 
notice  how  haughtily  he  looked  at  Mr. 
Parker  when  he  spoke  of  *  Black  Re- 
publicans,' at  dinner  last  night  ?  For 
the  moment  I  feared  he  meant  to  chal- 
lenge Parker.  I  believe  he  is  just  as 
quick  to  flash  up  as  any  of  our  cava- 
liers, as  you  call  them.  I  like  him  to 
look  so  masterful  and  strong." 

"Don't  you  bother  too  much  about 
what  Mr.  Ayer  thinks,  or  what  he 
does,"  replied  Mrs.  Peters  in  a  high, 


Juleps  and  Clover  39 

harsh  tone,  and  as  Clover  raised  her 
eyebrows,  in  unfeigned  astonishment, 
Mrs.  Peters  got  up,  saying : 

"I  must  get  the  julep,  or  Frazier 
will  be  storming  around  here.  Noth- 
ing arouses  him  so  much  as  having 
visitors." 

'Lish,  who  had  just  succeeded  in  pok- 
ing the  stray  cat  out  of  the  mint  bed, 
with  the  aid  of  his  long  hickory  fishing- 
pole,  was  dispatched  for  the  men. 
They  came,  bringing  some  julep,  which 
Mr.  Peters  had  attempted  to  make  him- 
self, in  defiance  of  the  unwritten  law, 
which  holds  in  the  South,  that  this 
delectable  concoction  can  only  be  mixed 
by  a  woman — "  a  woman  of  birth,  sir," 
as  Mr.  Peters  explained.  The  julep 
was  somewhat  stronger  than  usual,  and 
under  its  influence,  the  genial  nature 
of  the  host  asserted  itself. 

"  Joy,  my  dear,"  said  he,  "  do  you 
remember  that  Ohio  fellow  who  was 
brought  over  here  last  Spring  by  Mr. 


4-O  Juleps  and  Clover 

Joshua  Barbs?  What  was  his  name; 
Busby,  wasn't  it?  Yes,  Busby.  He 
was  a  good  fellow,  a  little  stiff  and  sat 
so  near  the  edge  of  his  chair,  I  feared 
he'd  slip  off.  Well,  one  afternoon  Mr. 
Busby  rode  up  with  Barbs,  and  I  sent 
word  to  Joy  to  make  some  julep  for  a 
Yankee — that  means  not  too  much  whis- 
key,— they're  not  used  to  it,  you  know. 
— It  was  very  hot  and  Busby  looked 
thirsty.  The  loving  cup ;  this  one. — 
You  see  it  has  a  glass  bottom — was 
filled  and  handed  to  him  first.  It  was 
his  first  julep,  and  I  think  it  was  his 
first  loving  cup — at  any  rate,  he  gath- 
ered all  the  straws,  and  commenced  to 
drink.  Finally  he  settled  back  in  his 
chair  with  a  sigh  of  perfect  bliss,  still 
drinking,  and  his  eyes  wandered  with  a 
far  away  expression,  up  to  the  ceiling. 
The  julep  could  be  seen  through  the 
bottom  of  the  glass  sinking  slowly — 
you  know  this  cup  holds  two  quarts. 
A  look  of  horror  crept  over  Joshua 


Juleps  and  Clover  41 

Barb's  face — you  see  he  felt  responsible 
for  Busby's  behavior,  and  I  believe 
from  what  Joy  told  me  afterward,  that 
I"- 

"  Yes,"  cried  Mrs.  Peters,  breaking 
in  and  ending  the  story  for  him :  "  I 
was  ashamed  of  you.  You  looked  as 
though  your  last  chance  for  a  julep  was 
going  for  life.  Mr.  Busby  did  stop 
at  length,  and  looking  around,  he  said : 

" '  Ain't  any  of  you  folks  goin'  to  drink 
with  me  ? ' 

"Mr.  Barbs  groaned  aloud,  and  Mr. 
Peters  for  the  first  time  since  I  married 
him,  lost  his  temper,  and  cried  : 

"'That  sir,  depends  entirely  upon 
you,  sir.' ' 

Peters  laughed  heartily  at  his  own  say- 
ings, and  told  how  Mr.  Busby  had  been 
tied  on  his  horse  in  case — as  Joshua 
Barbs  suggested — that  the  sun  proved 
too  much  for  him. 

"  For  my  part,"  continued  the  South- 
erner, "I  don't  blame  the  Ohio  man 


42  Juleps  and  Clover 

much.  Just  imagine  having  wasted 
thirty-five  years  of  life  without  ever 
having  known  the  unspeakable  delight 
—  the  satisfaction  —  consolation  —  and 
lastly,  the  amount  of  absolute  refresh- 
ment for  soul  and  body,  to  be  obtained 
in  a  mint  julep,  made  only  as  a  South- 
ern lady,  born  and  bred,  can  make  it. 

"  First  off,  you  know,  she  takes  a  long 
thin  glass,  in  her  pretty  hands,  and 
while  she's  looking  around  for  the 
sugar  bowl,  she  bruises  a  sprig  of  mint 
in  the  glass  carefully  throwing  out  the 
crushed  leaves  afterward.  Then  with 
her  great-grandmother's  silver  spoon, 
she  stirs  half  a  tablespoonful  of  fine 
'  sugar,  with  just  enough  water  to  melt 
it.  Two  sprigs  of  mint  next  go  against 
either  side  of  the  glass,  stems  down, 
and  to  hold  them  in  place,  she  fills  the 
glass  two-thirds  full  of  crushed  ice. 
After  that,  comes  a  half  a  jigger  of 
your  best  brandy.  Next,  the  same 
quantity  of  fine  old  Jamaica  or  St. 


Juleps  and  Clover  43 

Croix  rum.  Now  drop  into  this  nectar 
of  the  gods,  a  strawberry  or  two — 
wild  ones  if  possible,  their  odor  is  finer 
than  the  tame — a  bit  of  pineapple,  half 
a  slice  of  orange  with  the  peel  left  on ; 
then  take  two  long  white  oat  straws, 
and  while  you  consume  it  slowly,  re- 
turn thanks  to  the  Giver  of  all  Good." 

And  suiting  the  action  to  the  word, 
Peters  buried  his  Roman  nose  in  the 
mint  glass.  Joy  smiled  at  her  husband's 
unwonted  eloquence. 

"  It  takes  a  powerful  emotion  to  drive 
Frazier  to  utterance,"  she  said  to  Lee. 

While  Peters  was  holding  forth  on 
the  merits  of  Virginia  women  and  mint 
juleps,  Wallace  Ayer  and  Clover  had 
drifted  to  the  opposite  end  of  the  long 
veranda.  Clover,  half  reclining  in 
the  hammock,  with  her  misty  white 
gown  clinging  round  her  plump  figure, 
as  though  it  loved  to  reveal  the  perfect 
curves  of  so  fair  a  maiden.  •  To  keep 
the  hammock  swaying,  one  shapely  foot 


44  Juleps  and  Clover 

tapped  the  floor. — "  The  prettiest  ankle 
I  have  ever  seen  " — idly  thought  Ayer 
as  he  sat  on  the  veranda  railing,  with 
his  back  resting  against  a  pillar. 

The  sun  fell  in  level  red  rays  athwart 
the  white  swaying  gown,  and  creeping 
over  to  Lee,  reminded  him  that  many 
miles  lay  between  them  and  Wainhill. 

"  Ayer,"  he  called,  "•  I  am  truly  sorry 
to  tear  you  away  from  such  pleasant 
company."  And  ordering  their  horses, 
they  were  soon  homeward  bound.  Ayer 
was  mounted  on  Peters'  best  hunter. 
As  they  caught  a  parting  glimpse  of 
the  house  through  the  trees,  Ayer  dis- 
cerned the  figure  of  Clover  at  the 
window  of  her  room,  watching  them 
out  of  sight. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Whether  at  Nseshapiir  or  Babylon, 
Whether  the  Cup  with  sweet  or  bitter  run, 
The  Wine  of  Life  keeps  oozing  drop  by  drop 
The  Leaves  of  Life  keep  falling  one  by  one. 

THREE  days  after  the  events  re- 
counted in  the  last  chapter,  Ayer 
knocked  at  Lee's  room,  which  faced  his 
own  across  the  hall.  A  sleepy  growl 
came  from  within,  which  quickly 
changed  to  an  intelligible  voice  on 
Ayer's  explaining  who  it  was.  Lee  un- 
locked the  door,  and  then  rolling  back 
into  bed,  said : 

"  I  thought  it  was  that  nigger  Pete. 
Don't  mind  my  yawns,  I'll  be  awake  in 
a  moment." 

Ayer  seated  himself  on  the  foot  of 
the  bed,  and  after  smoking  contem- 
platively for  a  moment,  remarked  : 

"  It  seems  to  me,  Lee,  that  we  could 

45 


46  Juleps  and  Clover 

do  worse  than  ride  over  to  the  Peters' 
place  and  thank  them  for  their  kindness 
to  us  the  other  day." 

"All  right," said  Lee, stretching  him- 
self, and  showing  no  disposition  what- 
ever to  rise,  "I'll  send  for  my  coffee 
and  then  go  with  you.  It's  only  eight 
o'clock  now,  and  we  can  get  there  be- 
fore it's  too  hot  to  ride  comfortably. 
Had  your  breakfast  ?  " 

Ayer  shook  his  head. 

The  only  servant  in  the  club,  after 
repeated  summons,  appeared,  and 
breakfast,  or  rather  coffee  was  ordered 
for  both  in  Lee's  room. 

The  old  Metropolitan  Club  like 
many  other  things  in  Wainhill,  was 
more  name  than  reality,  and  lived  some- 
what precariously  on  the  proceeds  of 
the  bar  bill  and  the  money  spent  by  the 
occasional  visitors  who  came  to  town 
from  time  to  time. 

The  arrival  of  Lee  and  Ayer  had 
created  a  mild  furore  in  the  town,  and 


Juleps  and  Clover  47 

their  taking  rooms  at  the  club  had 
averted  its  financial  ruin  for  that  sea- 
son, at  least. 

"  Lee,"  said  Ayer,  as  they  were  eat- 
ing breakfast,  "tell  me  something  about 
this  Georgia  girl  at  the  Peters'.  Is  she 
as  unsophisticated  as  she  seems  ?  " 

"  Oh,  she's  young,  all  right ;  "  replied 
Lee,  guardedly,  "but  I  think  you'll 
find  very  little  of  the  schoolgirl  in  her. 
Her  people  of  course,  are  *  first  fam- 
ilies.' In  fact,  her  father  is  noted 
even  in  Georgia  for  his  family  pride, 
and — her  grandfather  was" — 

"  Never  mind  her  grandfather,  tell 
me  something  about  herself.  Is  she  a 
flirt,  or  does  she  take  people,  men  I 
mean,  au  grand  serieux  ?  " 

"  Now  that's  something  you  can 
judge  for  yourself,  better  than  I  can 
tell  you.  You  know  women,  and  ought 
to  be  able  to  read  a  young  girl  like  that 
at  a  glance." 

"  I     don't     profess    to     understand 


48  Juleps  and  Clover 

women,"  replied  Ayer.  "  No  man  does 
who  has  seen  much  of  them.  They 
don't  understand  themselves  half  the 
time.  But  you  have  not  answered  my 
question,  old  fellow." 

"  Is  she  a  flirt  ?  Is  she  unsophisti- 
cated ?  Is  she  quiet  ?  Is  she  fast  ?  " 
laughed  Lee.  "All  Southern  women 
are  the  first  and  none  of  them  are  the 
last." 

"  That's  a  trifle  obscure,"  said  Ayer, 
with  a  smile ;  "  if  I  had  made  such  a 
sweeping  remark  about  anything 
Southern,  you  would  have  resented  it 
instantly.  I  see  that  I  shall  have  to 
find  out  for  myself.  However,  you 
may  tell  me  something  of  her  family 
without  going  back  to  her  remote  an- 
cestors, if  you  will." 

"  She  has  a  father  and  two  unmar- 
ried brothers,  older  than  herself,"  said 
Lee,  checking  off  the  items  on  his  fin- 
gers. "  Mother  died  years  ago.  They 
are  quite  rich  for  Georgia — big  planta- 


Juleps  and  Clover  49 

tion.  Had  hundreds  of  niggers,  *  befo 
de  wah,'  and — anything  else  you'd  like 
to  know?  " 

"  Oh  no,  your  description  is  a  per- 
fect picture.  You  admit  nothing  ex- 
cept the  family  silver,  or,  is  it  possible 
—horrible  thought — that  the  Gwynne's 
have  none." 

"  Lots  of  it,"  laughed  Lee,  "  at  least 
they  had.  Buried  it  you  know,  to  save 
it  from  Sherman's  bummers,  and  have 
not  yet  found  the  hiding  place.  I  sup- 
pose you've  heard  that  story  before." 

"  Many's  the  time,"  replied  his 
friend ;  "  what  immense  quantities  of 
silver  must  have  been  used  in  the 
South  !  Come,  get  up,  you  can't  pos- 
sibly stay  in  bed  any  longer." 

Two  hours  later  when  the  men  ar- 
rived at  the  Peters'  plantation,  Mrs. 
Peters  and  Miss  Gwynne  came  out  on 
the  veranda  and  greeted  them  with 
evident  pleasure. 

"  It  has  been  awfully  stupid  here  the 


50  Juleps  and  Clover 

last  few  days,"  said  Miss  Gwynne,  ex- 
tending both  hands,  and  grasping 
Ayer's.  "  I'm  so  glad  you  have  come. 
I  intended  to  ride  this  afternoon,  all 
alone — Joy  don't  care  to  go." 

"  Mayn't  I  go  with  you  ?  "  said  Ayer, 
instantly.  "  We  can  start  about  four 
and  I'll  bring  you  back  in  time  for 
dinner." 

"  Of  course,  you  may  ride  with  me," 
said  Clover,  archly,  "  only  you  must 
take  me  into  town,  as  I  have  to  dine 
with  the  Barrys,  at  the  Beauregard 
this  evening." 

"  How  are  you  going  to  get  back 
here,"  inquired  Ayer,  "or  are  you  to 
spend  the  night  there  ?  " 

"  Well,"  said  Clover,  with  apparent 
hesitation,  "  Mr.  Peters  promised  to 
call  for  me,  but  I  suppose  you'll  volun- 
teer now." 

"  Most  certainly  I  shall,"  replied 
Ayer,  and  so  it  was  arranged. 

"  My  dear  Clover,"  said  Mrs.  Peters 


Juleps  and  Clover  51 

to  Miss  Gwynne,  when  the  ladies  were 
alone  after  luncheon,  "  I  shall  certainly 
have  to  write  your  father  that  you  will 
need  looking  after.  You  were  shock- 
ingly bold  with  Mr.  Ayer  this  morn- 
ing. Here  I  am,  giving  you  an  oppor- 
tunity to  establish  yourself.  For  the 
sake  of  the  family,  I  trust  you  will  be- 
have with  becoming  dignity." 

"  Oh,  father  won't  mind.  Northern 
men  are  so  conventional, — I  was  forced 
to  talk  that  way.  Mr.  Ayer  could  not 
take  a  gentle  hint.  Besides,"  she  ad- 
ded, innocently,  looking  Joy  straight 
in  the  eye,  "  I  didn't  suppose  you 
wanted  him." 

"  Clover,"  said  Mrs.  Peters,  with  dig- 
nity, "  you  are  an  extremely  silly  girl, 
and  will  get  yourself  into  trouble,  if 
you  go  on  in  this  way.  Mr.  Ayer  is 
not  a  man  to  flirt  with  and  then  throw 
over.  You  will  not  get  off  so  easily 
with  him." 

"  I'm  not  afraid,"  replied  Clover,  with 


52  Juleps  and  Clover 

a  smile.  "  I  reckon  he  can  take  care  of 
himself.  Mr.  Lee  told  me  the  other 
day  he  was  an  awful  trifler.  Always 
something  new  on  hand  and  never  in 
earnest  about  anything.  I  guess  a 
little  rough  handling  will  do  him  good, 
and  besides  I'd  give  anything  to  ruffle 
his  calm  assurance  of  manner." 

Mrs.  Peters,  who  had  been  watching 
with  increasing  uneasiness  Ayer's  de- 
meanor toward  her  cousin,  had  con- 
cluded that  her  own  chances  of  absorb- 
ing his  attention  were  fast  declining, 
and  felt  called  upon  to  interfere  with 
true  feminine  love  of  meddling  in  the 
little  game  commencing  under  her 
eyes. 

"Have  a  care,  Clover,"  said  she. 
"  I've  seen  more  men  than  you  have 
and  sometimes  one  happens  along,  who 
is  very  hard  to  manage.  If  you  take  my 
advice,  you  " — but  Miss  Gwynne  cut 
short  any  further  admonition  by  tumb- 
ling out  of  the  hammock,  saying  that 


Juleps  and  Clover  53 

she  thought  it  about  time  to  put  on  her 
riding  habit. 

Meanwhile  Ayer  had  patiently  lis- 
tened to  Mr.  Peters'  somewhat  lengthy 
recollections  of  war  times.  The  con- 
versation had  then  turned  on  the  re- 
spective merits  of  North  Carolina  and 
Virginia. 

This  last  topic  was  a  source  of  con- 
tention between  the  two  Southerners, 
as  Lee  shared  strongly  in  the  feeling 
prevailing  throughout  the  South,  that 
North  Carolinians,  with  exceptions  of 
course,  were  a  pretty  poor  lot,  and  he 
was  not  at  all  times  able  to  disguise 
this  sentiment. 

"  Of  course,  Mr.  Peters,  you  under- 
stand," said  Lee,  "  I  have  no  personal 
feeling  in  the  matter  whatever,  but  I 
have  always  held  to  the  idea  that  Caro- 
lina's Penal  Colony  in  her  early  days  of 
precarious  existence  may  have  had  a 
certain  amount  of  unpleasant  bearing 
on  a  few  strains  of  Carolina's  blood — 


54  Juleps  and  Clover 

mind  now,  I  don't  say  all,  but  only  a 
small  minority ;  and  then  again,  when 
one  considers  the  early  influence  of  the 
bold  buccaneers  and  fierce  pirates 
who  infested  her  shores,  finding  in  the 
peculiar  formation  of  her  many  reefs 
and  harbors,  a  haven  of  refuge  in  times 
of  trouble. 

"  For  more  than  a  decade  after  its 
founding,  nearly  all  of  Carolina's  cur- 
rency consisted  of  the  Spanish  gold  and 
silver,  brought  in  by  free-booters.  But 
when  the  pirates  were  so  unwise  as  to 
turn  against  their  friendly  hosts,  and 
the  swaggering  Blackbeard  held 
Charleston  itself  to  ransom,  a  new  light 
as  to  the  iniquity  of  piracy  dawned 
upon  the  Carolinians  in  that  early  day, 
and  they  finished  Kidd's  career  at  Exe- 
cution Dock  and  swung  Blackbeard's 
shaggy  head  from  the  bowsprit  of  a 
Virginia  cruiser." 

This  argument — to  the  great  amuse- 
ment of  Ayer,  grew  gradually  warmer 


Juleps  and  Clover  55 

until  Lee  brought  the  discussion  to  an 
abrupt  close  by  saying : 

"  Why,  even  Ayer  knows  that  all  the 
people  living  in  the  northern  tier  of 
counties  in  your  state,  call  themselves 
Virginians  *  just  over  the  border,  sir,' 
and  all  those  that  live  in  the  southern 
part  claim  to  be  South  Carolinians. 
Isn't  that  so,  Ayer  ?  " 

"  Don't  appeal  to  me,"  said  Ayer,  see- 
ing that  even  the  good-natured  Mr.  Pet- 
ers was  about  to  lose  his  temper  at  this 
fresh  insult  to  the  state  of  his  nativity. 
"Come  outside,  I  want  Mr.  Peters  to 
show  me  the  stables.  Have  you  got  a 
horse  to  sell  me,  Mr.  Peters?  The  one 
I  rode  over  here  to-day  is  a  wretched 
beast.  Does  nothing  but  rack." 

Peters  brightened  up  instantly  at  the 
prospect  of  a  horse  trade,  and  forget- 
ting the  vindication  of  North  Carolina 
and  Mackworth  County,  which  he  was 
on  the  point  of  delivering,  led  the  way 
to  the  stables. 


56  Juleps  and  Clover 

The  merits  of  the  various  horses  con- 
sumed the  time  rapidly,  and  while  they 
were  still  talking,  the  order  came  for 
Miss  Gwynne's  horse. 

Ayer  at  once  had  his  horse  brought 
out  and  mounting,  rode  up  to  the  ve- 
randa. There  he  found  Clover  alone, 
buttoning  her  glove.  The  tight  fitting 
riding  habit  showed  her  figure  to  the 
utmost  advantage,  and  for  the  second 
time,  Ayer  felt  creeping  over  him  the 
suggestion  of  her  strange  power  of 
fascination.  Her  horse  was  brought 
up,  and  when  Ayer  lifted  her  with  a 
quick  steady  movement  into  the  sad- 
dle, she  smiled  shyly  at  him  and  mur- 
mured in  her  prettiest  soft  Southern 
drawl  — 

"  How  strong  you  are  !  I  like  strong 
men  !  " 

At  the  implied  compliment,  Wallace 
Ayer  blushed  with  pleasure — in  fact  he 
blushed  twice — the  second  time  at  the 
idea  that  the  appreciation  of  a  simple 


Juleps  and  Clover  57 

country  maiden  could  cause  him  such 
elation. 

He,  the  conquering  hero  of  in- 
numerable skirmishes  among  the  daugh- 
ters of  Eve  in  every  clime  and  nation 
—  he,  Wallace  Ayer,  who  had  taken 
for  his  own,  the  motto  of  the  dissolute 
patricians  of  ancient  Rome :  "  ZONAM 
SOLVERE." 

It  was  a  new  point  of  view,  a  new 
sensation,  for  him  to  regard  a  woman  as 
an  individual.  Previous  to  his  ac- 
quaintance with  Clover,  women,  collect- 
ively, had  represented  in  his  estima- 
tion and  experience,  only  an  emotion. 
Whether  they  were  of  high  or  low  de- 
gree, cultured  or  coarse — if  he  thought 
of  it  at  all — he  regarded  their  position 
in  life  as  a  mere  matter  of  accident,  in 
nowise  affecting  the  essential  fact,  viz, 
their  sex.  If  they  were  pretty  and 
young,  they  gratified  his  highly  cul- 
tivated sense  of  the  beautiful — if  not, 
"  voila  toute  \  " — they  were  still  women. 


CHAPTER  V. 

And  this  I  know  :  Whether  the  one  True  Light 
Kindle  to  Love,  or  Wrath  consume  me  quite, 
One  flash  of  It  within  the  Tavern  caught 
Better  than  in  the  Temple  lost  out-right. 

Omar  Khayyam. 

THAT  afternoon  they  rode  far  out 
into  the  mountains,  through  long  un- 
used roads  and  woodland  bridal  paths, 
where  the  trees  met  and  interlaced 
above  their  heads.  Once  they  emerged 
from  the  forest  into  an  open  space, 
where  they  could  see  the  whole  valley 
of  the  Manola  at  a  glance.  The  scene 
was  superb,  with  its  pine  clad  moun- 
tains in  the  background,  and  the  river 
and  waiving  cornfields  at  their  feet. 

Nature  was  beautiful,  but  man  had 
defaced  her  in  many  places  with  his  so- 
called  improvements. 
58 


Juleps  and  Clover  59 

Clover  and  Ayer  gladly  turned  into 
the  woods  again  and  cantered  over  the 
soft  roads.  The  day  was  almost  perfect. 
Cooler  than  it  had  been  for  weeks,  and 
singularly  restful.  Here  and  there  they 
passed  a  mountaineer's  cabin,  built  in 
some  secluded  nook,  surrounded  by  the 
ghastly  trunks  of  huge  pine  trees, 
branchless  and  dead,  but  still  standing 
sentinel-like — proudly  erect,  trees  that 
had  been  girdled  and  killed  by  the 
shiftless  settlers,  who  were  too  lazy  to 
cut  and  burn  them.  The  earth  had 
been  barely  scratched  around  their 
roots  and  corn  or  wheat  planted.  With 
the  wretched  crop  thus  raised,  a  few 
hogs,  and  perhaps  an  illicit  whiskey- 
still,  the  mountaineer  arid  his  gaunt 
family  would  eke  out  a  forlorn  ex- 
istence. 

Sad-faced,  half-naked  children,  with 
blue  eyes  and  shocks  of  faded  yellow 
hair  that  bore  evidence  to  the  pure 
Anglo-Saxon  stock  of  their  ancestors, 


60  Juleps  and  Clover 

stared  at  them  from  the  cabin  door- 
steps, or  hung  listlessly  from  the  tum- 
ble-down fences,  as  they  rode  past. 

Sometimes  they  met  a  woman,  near 
the  clearing,  often  with  a  pipe  in  her 
toothless  mouth  and  a  look  of  hopeless 
poverty  on  her  faded  face.  Not  an 
overworked,  or  a  diseased-stricken  face, 
but  one  that  seems  never  to  have 
known  what  joy  or  comfort  was.  A 
woman  that  had  never  smiled.  Men 
too,  they  occasionally  passed,  tall  and 
gaunt,  without  a  trace  of  brightness  in 
their  faces,  but  withal,  a  certain  dogged 
independence  of  bearing,  as  though 
conscious  of  their  hopeless  wretched- 
ness, but  asked  no  help  from  man. 

Such  appeared  to  Ayer,  the  Carolin- 
ian mountaineers.  The  most  distinctly 
American  people  on  this  continent — 
"  white  trash,"  their  lowland  neighbors 
called  them,  but  still  in  some  cases,  the 
descendants  of  the  stalwart  old  fron- 
tiersman, who  reclaimed  Kentucky  and 


Juleps  and  Clover  61 

Tennessee  from  the  Indians,  after  the 
fiercest  border  wars  on  record. 

Brave,  the  Northerner  knew  them  to 
be,  for  they  and  their  class  in  the  South 
had  filled  the  rank  and  file  of  the  Con- 
federate armies  and  formed  one  of  the 
most  gallant  and  devoted  soldiers  the 
world  has  ever  seen.  These  were  the 
men  who  fought  for  months,  subsisting 
on  nothing  but  parched  corn,  and  who 
fell  by  the  thousands,  to  uphold  an 
oligarchy,  and  a  social  system  which 
bore  most  oppressively  upon  them  and 
their  fellows,  and  which  had  been 
largely  instrumental  in  lowering  them 
to  their  present  state. 

Ayer  and  his  companion  talked  but 
little  except  when  the  former  told  of 
scenes  in  far  distant  countries,  which 
were  recalled  by  their  present  sur- 
roundings. Sometimes  they  forded 
small  streams,  and  once  found  them- 
selves lost  for  a  few  moments,  but  the 
road  was  soon  recovered,  and  at  sun- 


62  Juleps  and  Clover 

down  they  drew  up  their  tired  horses 
at  the  Beauregard  Hotel,  on  the  out- 
skirts of  Wainhill.  There  Ayer  left 
Miss  Gwynne,  promising  to  call  for  her 
at  nine  that  evening,  and  he  rode 
slowly  on  to  the  club. 

Ayer  was  on  hand  promptly  at  the 
time  appointed  and  was  kept  waiting 
half  an  hour  before  Clover  appeared. 
He  was  presented  to  the  Barrys,  a 
rather  attractive  family  from  Savannah, 
and  after  a  short  chat  with  them, 
Clover  and  he  mounted  and  bade  good- 
night to  the  little  group  which  gathered 
to  see  them  off. 

They  crossed  the  Manola  by  the 
Long  Bridge,  and  skirted  along  the 
river  until  they  reached  the  meadows  a 
few  miles  above.  Here  they  enjoyed  a 
sharp  gallop  in  the  moonlight,  to  which 
a  spice  of  excitement  and  danger  was 
given  by  the  horses  shying  at  the  way- 
side stumps.  Then  they  let  the  horses 
walk,  and  gave  themselves  up  to  the 


Juleps  and  Clover  63 

subtle  influences  of  the  scene  and  the 
hour.  The  moon  half-grown,  covered 
the  trees  and  long  meadow  stretches 
with  a  soft  downy  light,  and  brought 
out  with  startling  clearness  the  white 
road  in  front  of  them.  Occasionally  a 
hare  scuttled  across  the  way  almost 
under  the  horses'  feet,  or  an  owl  hooted 
in  the  distance. 

The  two  rode  on,  chatting  in  an  un- 
dertone until  long  past  midnight,  and 
when  at  length  the  Peters'  place  ap- 
peared, Ayer  felt  that  he  would  be  will- 
ing to  ride  on  indefinitely  in  the  moon- 
light— for  a  lifetime — if  Clover  were  at 
his  side. 

The  house  loomed  up  silent  and  de- 
serted. As  he  lifted  Miss  Gwynne 
gently  from  her  horse  it  seemed  to  him 
that  her  arm  rested  on  his  shoulder  in 
a  half  reluctant  manner,  an  instant 
longer  perhaps  than  was  necessary  for 
mere  support.  He  glanced  keenly  at 
her  face.  Her  deep,  soft  eyes  were 


64  Juleps  and  Clover 

tremulous  with  an  emotional  light, 
and  the  mouth  smiled  mischievously. 
"L'audace,  Toujours  1'audace,''  thought 
Ayer,  and  before  she  was  firmly  on  the 
ground,  he  caught  her  up  in  his  arms 
and  carried  her  lightly  up  the  steps  to 
the  veranda.  She  struggled  for  a  mo- 
ment and  then  let  her  face  sink  on  his 
shoulder.  For  what  seemed  to  him 
afterward  the  supreme  moment  of  his 
life  he  held  her  there  without  a  word 
from  either.  Then  she  wrenched  her- 
self suddenly  loose  and  pointing  quickly 
with  her  riding  whip  toward  the  horses, 
disappeared.  The  door  shut  behind  her, 
and  Ayer  with  his  blood  on  fire,  looked 
around  to  find  the  object  which  oc- 
casioned the  sudden  interruption,  in- 
tending to  visit  his  anger  in  no  light 
measure  on  the  man,  beast  or  devil, 
who  thus  interfered  with  his  pleasure. 

The  tired  horses  stood  listlessly  hang- 
ing their  heads,  and  a  little  darkey  was 
holding  their  bridles.  The  grin  faded 


Juleps  and  Clover  65 

quickly  from  the  boy's  dusky  face  when 
he  saw  Ayer's  menacing  expression. 
Annoyed  as  the  Northerner  was  at  be- 
ing interrupted  and  spied  upon,  he 
could  not  help  smiling  at  the  terror  of 
the  child.  He  recognized  the  small 
'Lish,  who  had  brought  him  breakfast 
on  his  first  visit  to  the  Peters. 

"  What  are  you  doing  prowling 
around  at  this  time  of  night,  'Lish  ?  " 
said  Wallace,  not  unkindly;  gathering 
up  his  reins  and  springing  into  the  sad- 
dle. 

"  Marse  Peters  he  dun  tole  me  to  set 
up  an'  fetch  yo'  bosses  to  de  stable," 
said  the  child,  greatly  relieved  to  find 
that  his  untimely  interruption  was  to 
have  no  painful  results. 

"  Very  well,  'Lish,"  said  Ayer,  check- 
ing his  horse  for  a  moment,  "  tell  Mr. 
Peters  that  I  find  I  cannot  accept  his 
invitation  to  stay  here  to-night.  I  have 
some  business  in  town  early  to-mor- 
row." 


66  Juleps  and  Clover 

The  little  darkey  watched  the  horse- 
man disappear  behind  the  trees.  Then 
he  scrambled  up  on  Miss  Gwynne's 
horse  and  bursting  with  importance 
clattered  to  the  barn. 

"  I  dun  thought  he  gwine  to  kill  me 
shur  dis  time ;  "  'Lish  confided  to  the 
mare  as  he  stood  on  tiptoe  to  take  off 
her  bridle. 

The  first  faint  flushes  of  dawn  were 
showing  in  the  sky  when  Ayer  drew 
rein  before  the  club.  He  rang  repeat- 
edly before  Pete  appeared,  rubbing  his 
eyes.  A  few  sharp  words  aroused  him, 
and  he  led  to  the  stable  the  now  ex- 
hausted horse — the  second  Ayer  had 
used  up  that  day.  The  rider,  too,  was 
tired  out,  and  drew  off  his  boots  with- 
out waiting  for  slow  moving  Pete's  as- 
sistance. He  threw  himself  on  the  bed 
and  sank  into  a  sleep  that  was  not 
dreamless. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Oh  threats  of  Hell  and  Hopes  of  Paradise ! 
One  thing  at  least  is  certain — This  Life  flies ; 
One  thing  is  certain  and  the  rest  is  Lies ; 
The  Flower  that  once  has  blown,  forever  dies. 
Omar  Khayyam, 

AYEE'S  previous  life  had  rendered 
him  unfitted  to  look  very  seriously  on 
what  he  considered  a  mere  episode. 
He  was  surprised  at  himself  when  he 
found  how  persistently  every  detail  of 
his  midnight  ride  and  final  scene  with 
Miss  Gwynne  came  back  to  him  during 
the  week  that  followed.  His  thoughts 
kept  drifting  back  to  her  and  resting 
with  a  strange  satisfaction  on  their  last 
interview.  He  could  at  times  scarcely 
throw  off  the  impression  that  her  gentle 
touch  was  on  his  shoulder  and  he  was 
haunted  by  a  pair  of  dreamy  eyes. 
However,  he  was  not  in  the  habit  of 
67 


68  Juleps  and  Clover 

showing  his  feelings,  and  while  Lee  no- 
ticed the  abstraction  of  his  friend  he 
failed  to  divine  the  true  cause.  At 
first  he  joked  Ayer  about  his  devotion 
to  Miss  Gwynne — but  soon  dropped  the 
subject,  as  it  seemed  neither  to  annoy 
nor  interest  Ayer  in  the  least. 

"  You  have  not  changed  a  bit  since 
college  days,  old  man,"  Lee  had  said 
one  day  at  lunch,  "you  rush  a  girl  as 
though  she  were  the  only  woman  on 
earth,  and  then  drop  her  without  the 
slightest  apparent  cause. 

"Now  the  other  day  you  rode  off 
with  Miss  Gwynne  with  an  enthusiasm 
I  have  rarely  seen,  even  in  you,  and  the 
next  morning  you  walked  around  in  a 
day  dream  and  smoked  like  a  blast 
furnace ;  now  you  don't  seem  to  care 
whether  you  ever  go  near  the  Peters' 
place  again  or  not." 

"I'd  just  as  lieve  go, — I'll  go  to-day 
with  you,  if  you  say  so, — shall  we  ? " 
said  Ayer,  apparently  without  much 


Juleps  and  Clover  69 

interest;  "as  to  Miss  Gwynne,  I'm 
afraid  you're  right  about  my  changeable 
habits." 

"  Why,  Wallace,"  said  Lee,  "  do  you 
remember  that  pretty  Landsdale  girl 
you  brought  down  from  Providence  to 
the  Promenade  ?  You  were  the  type  of 
devotion  to  her  at  the  Sophomore  Ger- 
man and  completely  turned  her  head. 
You  were  rather  a  good  looking  fellow 
in  those  days — and  you  used  your  ad- 
vantages unmercifully.  Then  at  the 
Promenade  itself,  you  remember  we 
shared  a  box  in  old  Carl's  Opera  House, 
you  suddenly  marched  off  with  pique 
and  practically  abandoned  Miss  Lans- 
dale  without  reason,  as  fur  as  any  of  us 
ever  knew.  I  think  you  took  Jim 
Barnard's  girl  up  in  the  gallery  and 
kept  her  from  him  half  the  evening.  I 
never  understood  you  that  night ;  Miss 
Lansdale  was  far  and  away  the  best 
girl  there,  and  I  really  think  she  was 
very  fond  of  you." 


jo  Juleps  and  Clover 

"  Lee,"  commenced  Ayer,  seriously  at 
first ;  but  when  some  of  the  events  of 
that  evening  came  back  to  him,  he 
could  not  help  laughing.  "  Lee,  the 
whole  thing  was  perfectly  simple.  I 
was  extremely  fond  of  Miss  Helen 
Lansdale  in  those  days,  and  the  trouble 
was  simply  this ;  you  know  that  I  am 
the  least  jealous  man  in  the  world,  but 
there  is  one  thing  I  cannot,  and  will 
not  do,  and  that  is  to  run  opposition  to 
a  *  cad-a-chump '  we  used  to  call  them 
in  the  old  days. 

"  If  I  like  a  girl  and  see  much  of  her 
— am  at  all  devoted — I  don't  care  how 
many  others  there  are  in  the  game,  if 
they  are  decent  fellows,  but,  if  a  girl 
wants  some  counter  jumper  around, 
why — she  can  have  him,  but  I  with- 
draw." 

"You're  a  proud  man,"  said  Lee, 
putting  down  his  pipe  and  looking  his 
friend  in  the  face,  "and  you'll  get  into 
trouble  some  day.  You  have  an  aristo- 


Juleps  and  Clover  71 

cratic  contempt  for  those  beneath  you 
that  won't  do  in  this  country." 

"  I've  no  contempt  for  those  beneath 
me,  but  merely  for  those  who  are  in- 
feriors and  assume  to  be  equals.  It's  a 
nice  state  of  things  for  a  Southern  gen- 
tleman to  question  such  an  attitude. 
You  quite  agree  with  me  in  practice,  if 
not  in  theory.  You  remember  Billy 
Cobbs ;  you  had  about  the  same  opinion 
of  him.  that  I  had.  He  got  introduced 
to  Miss  Lansdale  by  some  one  or  other 
(to  go  back  to  the  original  subject) 
after  I  had  refused  to  present  him.  I 
objected  to  her  cutting  Jim  Dunstan's 
dance  to  waltz  with  Cobbs  the  second 
time.  She  informed  me  that  she  would 
do  as  she  pleased,  and  that  she  con- 
sidered Mr.  Cobbs  a  most  charming  in- 
dividual. I  told  her  in  reply  that  he 
was  not  a  man  she  should  care  to  know, 
and  incidentally  added  that  I  would 
leave  if  she  cared  to  have  anything  more 
to  do  with  him." 


J2  Juleps  and  Clover 

"And  she  told  you  to  go,"  broke  in 
Lee,  with  a  laugh ;  "  any  girl  of  spirit 
would." 

"  She  did  and  I  went,"  replied  Ayer. 
"  Some  of  these  days  when  I  am  in  a 
confidential  mood,  I'll  tell  you  why  I 
feel  so  strongly  on  such  a  trivial  sub- 
ject. For  that  was  not  mere  boyish 
fancy,  but  a  conviction  that  is  still  as 
strong  as  ever  in  me." 

"  Tell  me  your  story  now,  Ayer." 

"No,"  said  the  Northerner,  gloomily, 
as  he  rose  up,  "I  am  going  into  the 
library  to  read  until  we  start  for  the 
Peters'." 

The  sun  was  well  down  when  Lee 
and  Ayer  reached  the  Peters'  place. 
The  planter  was  on  the  veranda,  and 
seemed  delighted  to  see  them. 

"  The  ladies  are  out  for  a  drive," 
said  Mr.  Peters,  "  but  they  will  soon  be 
back.  You  must  dine  here  and  spend 
the  night — both  of  you.  It  is  really 
shameful  the  way  in  which  you  have 


Juleps  and  Clover  73 

deserted  us  of  late,  Mr.  Ayer ;  Clover 
Gwynne  has  been  wondering  what 
could  have  happened  to  you." 

"  I  shall  be  most  happy  to  stay  to- 
night," replied  Ayer,  "especially  as  I 
may  have  to  go  North  soon." 

"  That's  a  bluff,"  said  Lee,  winking 
at  Peters.  "  I  do  not  believe  he  will  go 
at  all.  Our  climate  is  affecting  him, 
Peters.  He  is  not  nearly  so  restless  as 
he  used  to  be." 

"  Really  becoming  lazy,  I  assure 
you." 

Dinner  was  ready  when  the  ladies 
returned,  and  Ayer  merely  shook  hands 
with  Clover  before  she  ran  upstairs  to 
dress.  She  greeted  him  with  a  frank 
smile,  and  seemed  relieved  and  pleased 
to  find  him  there. 

During  dinner,  the  conversation  was 
of  course,  general,  and  Ayer  had 
abundant  opportunity  to  reflect  on  how 
foolish,  not  to  say,  rude,  he  had  been 
to  keep  away  from  such  a  pretty  girl 


74  Juleps  and  Clover 

for  an  entire  week.  He  had  attributed 
the  impression  made  on  him  by  their 
ride,  to  his  prolonged  absence  from  the 
society  of  ladies,  but  now  realized,  as 
he  watched  her  across  the  table,  play- 
fully bantering  Lee  about  that  gentle- 
man's neglect,  that  something  more 
than  an  ordinary  affaire,  awaited  him  if 
he  saw  much  more  of  her. 

"  Why  not,"  he  reflected.  "  It  is  fair 
game  and  no  favor.  She  is  not  un- 
skilled and  can  hold  her  own.  Besides, 
if  she  takes  my  attention  seriously- 
well,  that  might  be  embarrassing — but 
then  that  has  happened  before,  and  no 
great  harm  came  of  it." 
j  So  after  dinner,  he  excused  himself 
from  smoking  with  the  men  and  went 
out  on  the  veranda.  Clover  was  alone. 
Apparently  she  had  expected  him,  for 
she  turned  quickly  at  the  sound  of  his 
step. 

"  I  knew  you  would  come,"  she  said, 
frankly.     "  What  do  you  think  of  me 


Juleps  and  Clover  75 

after  the  other  night,  Mr.  Ayer.  I  was 
afraid  from  your  absence  that  I  had  lost 
your  respect." 

"Nonsense,  I  have  been  busy  in 
town — lawyers,  you  know, "replied  the 
Northerner. 

"  I  don't  believe  that.  You're  laugh- 
ing at  me.  You  know  you  could  have 
come  if  you  had  wished." 

"Well,  I'm  here  now,"  said  Ayer, 
"  and  if  I  had  known  that  you  cared  to 
see  me,  Miss  Gwynne,"  he  added  more 
seriously,  "I  should  have  been  here 
long  ago.  You  might  have  written  a 
note ;  but  come  and  take  a  stroll  along 
the  river  road,  so  that  I  may  smoke. 
Will  you  need  anything  over  your 
head  ?  Can't  you  use  this  shawl  ?  " 
taking  a  white  crepey  thing  off  of  a 
near  by  rocking  chair. 

"  That's  Cousin  Joy's,  but  throw  it 
over  your  arm,  I  may  need  it." 

Clover  Gwynne  went  with  Ayer 
without  the  slightest  hesitation.  They 


76  Juleps  and  Clover 

crossed  the  lawn,  and  in  a  few  steps 
came  to  the  road  that  skirted  the  river. 
This  road  they  followed  for  perhaps  a 
quarter  of  a  mile,  until  they  found  a 
fallen  tree  conveniently  near  the  bank. 
Clover  ensconced  herself  among  the 
upturned  roots,  leaving  Ayer  a  more 
humble  seat  at  her  feet. 

"  Mr.  Ayer,"  she  began,  "  you  must 
have  a  bad  opinion  of  us  Southern  girls." 

"  Southern  girls  are  very  much  like 
the  Northern  ones,  perhaps  rather  nicer, 
Clover,"  said  Ayer,  moving  closer  and 
striving  to  rest  his  arm  on  her  knees. 

"Stop!"  said  Clover,  firmly,  but 
without  a  trace  of  annoyance  in  her 
voice ;  "  if  you  wish  to  sit  quietly  where 
you  are  I  will  stay  here.  If  you  come 
any  nearer,  I  shall  go  back  to  the 
house." 

Ayer  cheerfully  slid  back  to  his  seat 
and  bided  his  time.  He  drew  a  pipe 
from  his  pocket  and  proceeded  to  fill  it. 
He  glanced  up  mischievously  and  said, 


Juleps  and  Clover  77 

"  Do  you  mind  a  pipe — it's  a  pledge  of 
good  behavior,  you  know?  " 

"If  it  keeps  you  still,  smoke  all  you 
like,  Mr.  Ayer." 

At  their  feet  the  river  made  a  soft 
monotonous  sound  as  the  waves  lapped 
and  swished  against  the  grassy  bank. 

On  either  shore,  the  grass  grew  down 
to  and  indeed,  under  the  water's  edge, 
and  in  the  brilliant,  full  moonlight,  it 
looked  to  the  silent  pair,  as  though  it 
had  just  been  newly  poured  from  the 
Giver's  hand  out  over  a  fresh  green 
meadow-land.  A  whip-poor-will  sung 
his  plaintive  solo. 

From  the  plantation  across  the  moon- 
lit water,  came  the  sound  of  the  deep 
baying  hounds;  probably  out  with 
the  negroes  on  a  coon-hunt. 

And  above  and  resting  on  it  all,  fell 
the  moonlight  like  a  veil  of  silver,  turn- 
ing into  a  veritable  fairyland,  the  sylvan 
glade  until  it  was  a  fit  place  only  for 
the  loves  of  true  lovers. 


78  Juleps  and  Clover 

Wallace  understood  Clover's  mood 
and  smoked  on  in  silence.  The  beauty 
of  the  night  brought  him  a  strange  rest- 
fulness  of  soul.  An  owl's  sudden  hoot 
in  a  tree  near  by  startled  Clover  and 
aroused  them  both  from  their  dreamy 
mood.  Presently  Ayer  began  to  talk 
of  life  in  the  North.  This  was  a  topic 
of  undying  interest  to  the  Georgia  girl. 
Brought  up  remote  from  cities,  she 
listened  with  intense  interest  to  his 
stories  of  fashionable  New  York.  The 
Horse  Show  and  the  smart  dances,  the 
opera  and  the  dinners  were  all  a  dream 
to  her,  but  still  far  more  near  and  vivid 
than  the  Old  World  scenes  he  had  here- 
tofore dwelt  upon.  From  society  the 
conversation  drifted  to  the  Northern 
summers,  and  he  told  her  of  golfing  and 
coaching  in  the  Berkshires,  gay  New- 
port, and  of  the  lawn  parties  and  yacht- 
ing along  the  seashore.  Of  the  water- 
ing places  on  Mt.  Desert  Island,  Clover 
already  knew  much  from  other  South- 


Juleps  and  Clover  79 

era  girls  who  had  flourished  there. 
Tales  of  life  on  the  water  never  palled, 
and  she  listened  while  Ayer  told  her  of 
canoe  trips  and  yachting  along  the 
Maine  shores,  until  he  feared  she  would 
forget  the  speaker  in  the  fascination  of 
the  subject. 

Ayer  never  appeared  to  better  ad- 
vantage than  when  in  a  serious  mood, 
and  seeing  his  opportunity,  he  improved 
it  to  the  utmost. 

Several  hours  had  passed  when  Ayer 
lit  his  last  pipe  full  of  tobacco,  and  said : 
"Here  I've  been  doing  all  the  talking, 
and  chiefly  about  myself,  too.  Won't 
you  tell  me  about  your  Georgia  life  ? 
It  would  interest  me  much  more  than 
hearing  myself  talk." 

"There's  not  much  to  tell,"  replied 
Clover,  sitting  up  with  a  sigh.  "I 
would  much  rather  have  you  go  on. 
This  is  all  so  new  to  me.  Our  men 
either  can  not  or  will  not  talk  to  us 
girls  seriously.  You  have  seen  a  great 


80  Juleps  and  Clover 

deal,  Mr.  Ayer.  Life  must  interest  you 
deeply,  to  observe  everything  so  closely. 
One  thing,  however,  I  don't  understand, 
and  that  is,  what  possible  reason  you 
can  have  for  liking  a  little  backwood's 
girl  like  me  after  you  have  known  so 
many  society  women.  Why  is  it?" 

"I  have  not  said  that  I  did  like  you, 
Clover" — said  Ayer  with  a  smile, 
which  was  invisible  in  the  darkness. 

"  But,  I  know  you  do,"  said  Clover, 
quietly. 

"  We  must  go  back  now,"  she  added, 
after  a  pause. 

Ayer  protested  that  it  was  still  quite 
early,  but  Miss  Gwynne  insisted.  She 
took  his  arm  as  a  matter  of  course,  and 
leaned  on  it  confidingly,  as  they  leis- 
urely strolled  back  to  the  house.  Some- 
thing of  her  former  softness  came  back, 
and  her  voice  was  low  and  tender.  She 
sat  on  the  veranda  for  a  few  minutes 
with  him,  and  then  rose  to  bid  him 
good-night,  extending  her  hand  with  a 


Juleps  and  Clover  81 

grace  that  was  simple  and  old-fash- 
ioned. 

Ayer  laughed  and  dropping,  half  in 
fun,  half  respectfully  on  one  knee,  pressed 
his  lips  upon  it.  She  allowed  her  hand 
to  linger  for  a  moment  in  his,  and  her 
wonderful  eyes  lit  up  for  an  instant 
with  an  expression  and  fire  that  was 
not  lost  on  Ayer,  and  she  was  gone. 

After  that  moonlit  evening  by  the 
river,  Ayer  simply  gave  himself  up  to 
Clover  Gwynne ;  rode  with  her,  walked 
with  her  and  devoted  himself  exclu- 
sively to  her,  to  the  ill  concealed  an- 
noyance of  Mrs.  Peters. 

At  a  cotillon  given  by  the  Barrys  at 
the  Beauregard,  Clover  did  not  dance 
with  any  one  else,  excusing  herself  when 
Major  Parker  came  up  early  in  the 
evening  for  a  waltz,  on  the  ground  that 
she  was  tired. 

"  Now,"  said  she  to  Ayer,  when  the 
angry  major  had  marched  off  with  great 
dignity,  "  you'll  have  to  spend  the  rest 


82  Juleps  and  Clover 

of  the  evening  outside  with  me.  After 
refusing  the  major,  I  cannot  dance  with 
any  one  else ;  "  so  they  remained  on  the 
veranda  until  supper.  He  left  her  for 
a  moment  to  get  some  ices,  and  on  his 
return  found  Miss  Barry  remonstrating 
with  her  for  her  obvious  preference  for 
him. 

"  Your  fine-looking  friend  from  New 
York  will  get  himself  into  trouble,  if 
you  don't  come  in  and  dance  with  some 
of  our  men,"  he  heard  Miss  Barry  say. 

"  I  don't  think  he'll  give  me  up  for  a 
little  risk.  Would  you,  Mr.  Ayer  ? " 
said  Clover  with  a  flush  of  pleasure,  as 
that  gentleman  came  up. 

Miss  Barry  retired  discomfited. 

The  dance  settled  the  question  that 
had  been  agitating  Wainhill  for  some 
time,  and  the  people  forthwith  concluded 
that  Ayer  and  Miss  Gwynue  were  en- 
gaged— that  it  was  an  excellent  match 
and  lost  further  interest  in  the  matter. 
All  were  not  of  this  opinion,  however, 


Juleps  and  Clover  83 

as  was  proved  by  Colonel  Bellows,  one 
evening  at  the  club. 

"  He's  been  a  lovin'  of  her  these  two 
months,"  said  that  ancient  veteran, 
smoothing  his  patriarchal  beard  over 
his  vest  to  conceal  the  absence  of  a 
necktie  and  holding  out  his  glass  to 
Pete  to  fill  from  the  whiskey  decanter ; 
"I've  been  watchin'  'em  an.'  I  sez  to 
Parker  the  other  day,  sez  I:  'thet 
Yankee's  got  his  eye  on  Dan  Gwynne's 
girl.  Them  fancy  fellers  up  North  hev 
got  a  heap  of  cheek.  I  reckon  old 
Gwynne  will  be  mad  enough  when  he 
hears  'bout  this  business.  He  holds  his 
head  pretty  high.' " 

"  Mr.  Ayer  is  a  gentleman,"  said 
Frazier  Peters,  who  had  joined  the 
group  as  the  colonel  was  speaking, 
"  and  even  if  what  you  surmise  is  cor- 
rect, Colonel  Bellows,  Mr.  Gwynne  has 
nothing  to  object  to  that  I  can  see." 

"  Well,"  returned  the  veteran,  thought- 
fully, "mebbe  you're  right,  but  them 


84  Juleps  and  Clover 

Yankees  is  Yankees,  and  I  don't  believe 
in  mixed  marriages." 

Miss  Gwynne  and  Ayer  were  invited 
out  together  to  dinner  as  a  matter  of 
course  by  the  neighbors,  and  even 
Frazier  and  his  wife  accepted  the  situ- 
ation and  exchanged  grave  looks  of  ap- 
proval when  Ayer  dropped  in  acciden- 
tally for  mint  julep,  an  event  which 
now  occurred  every  afternoon.  Even 
Lee  at  length  began  to  think  the  matter 
looked  serious,  but,  as  it  was  none  of 
his  business,  he  wisely  said  nothing. 

Discussing  the  affaire  one  afternoon 
with  Joy  Peters  on  the  veranda,  he 
shifted  his  responsibility  in  the  matter: 

"  Well,  Ayer  is  free,  white,  and 
twenty-one;  if  he  had  wanted  my  ad- 
vice, he  would  have  asked  for  it." 


CHAPTER  VII. 

The  Moving  Finger  writes ;  and,  having  writ, 
Moves  on :  nor  all  your  Piety  nor  wit 
Shall  lure  it  back  to  cancel  half  a  Line, 
Nor  all  your  Tears  wash  out  a  Word  of  it. 

Omar  Khyyam. 

Miss  GWYNNE  received  the  North- 
erner's attention  as  a  matter  of  course, 
a  proper  tribute  from  a  man  to  a  woman 
of  beauty,  as  she  well  knew  herself  to 
be.  Like  many  Southern  women,  she 
had  been  brought  up  to  regard  men's 
attention  as  a  most  natural  and  desir- 
able thing,  and,  while  her  vanity  was 
somewhat  pleased  at  having  taken  from 
her  cousin  and  kept  to  herself  so  diffi- 
cult a  man  as  Wallace  Ayer,  she  was 
not  overelated. 

Cases  of  intense,  sometimes  half 
frantic  devotion  she  had  met  with 
before,  and  she  put  her  latest  conquest 
85 


86  Juleps  and  Clover 

into  this  same  category,  although  she 
found  it  at  times  hard  to  understand  an 
undercurrent  of  seriousness  that  she 
had  noticed  at  first,  but  which  now 
seemed  increasing.  Affairs  of  this  sort, 
she  argued  to  herself,  occurred  every 
summer,  and  it  mattered  little  what  the 
pace  was,  for  the  time  was  short,  and 
although  Ayer  kept  putting  off  his  de- 
parture from  day  to  day,  she  knew  that 
a  few  weeks  at  the  most  would  separate 
them.  When  she  thought  of  going 
back  to  her  quiet  Georgia  life,  she  did 
feel  a  pang  of  loneliness  at  the  idea, 
and  frankly  told  Ayer  so.  That  gentle- 
man seemed  even  less  concerned  about 
the  future.  Enjo}7ing  the  present,  he 
failed  to  see  any  reason  why  things 
should  not  stay  as  they  were.  The 
idea  of  marrying  Clover  had  not  en- 
tered his  mind,  he  simply  knew  that  he 
was  fond  of  her,  was  becoming  more 
and  more  so  every  day,  and  had  entire 
possession  of  the  field. 


Juleps  and  Clover  87 

Previous  experience  would  have  told 
him,  had  he  troubled  himself  to  look 
back  into  his  own  short  but  crowded 
life,  that  the  pace  they  were  going 
could  not  last. 

He  had  often  told  Clover  that  he  was 
fond  of  her  and  had  freely  used  the 
most  endearing  terms  with  a  smile 
which  robbed  them  of  half  their  mean- 
ing, but  the  words :  "  I  love  you  " ;  he 
had  avoided  from  some  fantastic  princi- 
ple he  still  retained,  despite  his  many 
peccadillos,  hidden  away  in  a  corner 
of  his  brain. 

Once,  however,  he  had  used  it.  On 
the  night  of  the  Barrys'  dance  he  had 
driven  home  with  her.  The  delicate 
odor  of  the  roses  she  wore — the  white 
feather  boa  wound  about  her  throat — 
the  excitement  of  the  dance  still  ting- 
ling in  his  blood,  had  all  proved  too 
much  for  him  and  had  thrown  him  off 
his  guard,  and  he  had  whispered  in  her 


88  Juleps  and  Clover 

ear  the  words  he  had  so  carefully 
shunned. 

"  Never  use  those  words  again,  Wal- 
lace," she  said,  "  unless  you  mean  them 
with  all  your  soul.  Don't  trifle,  or  you 
will  ruin  our  friendship.  Don't  be  sen- 
timental, aud  behave  for  just  a  little 
longer  and  then  I'll  be  home  in  Geor- 
gia." 

For  a  moment  Ayer  would  have  been 
willing  to  repeat  what  he  said  and  stand 
by  it,  but,  perhaps,  the  little  unrecog- 
nized doubt  that  has  saved  many  a  man 
at  a  vital  crisis,  came  to  his  rescue.  Be 
that  as  it  may,  the  subject  dropped  and 
so  matters  drifted  on.  Little  by  little 
Miss  Gwynne  entered  deeper  into  Ayer's 
life,  and  he  never  knew  how  much  he 
really  cared  for  the  girl  until  he  was 
rudely  awakened  from  his  day  dream. 

One  afternoon  as  the  summer  season 
was  drawing  to  its  close,  Ayer  started 
on  horseback  for  the  Peters'  place,  to 
keep  an  engagement  with  Miss  Gwynne. 


Juleps  and  Clover  89 

It  was  at  least  an  hour  before  he  need 
start,  but  he  had  been  impatient  all  the 
morning  to  be  up  and  away. 

All  his  purchases  of  timberland  had 
been  completed  and  nothing  now  de- 
tained him  in  Wainhill.  Letters  from 
home  that  day  had  brought  to  mind  the 
gaieties  he  was  missing  in  the  North — 
the  hunting  season  was  approaching  and 
here  he  was,  lingering  and  wasting  his 
time  in  the  mountains.  He  stopped  at 
the  Long  Bridge  to  draw  tighter  the 
girth  of  his  saddle.  The  horse  was 
restive  and  it  seemed  to  him  as  he 
pulled  tight  the  strap,  that  he  was 
bracing  himself  to  leave  Clover. 

At  the  end  of  the  bridge  he  passed 
a  crossroad,  that  came  from  the  rear  of 
the  Peters'  plantation.  On  this  road  he 
saw  a  buggy  with  a  man  and  woman  in 
it.  They  were  too  far  away  to  distin- 
guish their  features,  but  the  idea  oc- 
curred to  him  that  the  girl  looked  a 
trifle  like  Clover  Gwynne. 


90  Juleps  and  Clover 

He  persuaded  himself  that  it  was  only 
a  fancy,  however,  and  riding  on  without 
looking  back  he  soon  disappeared  from 
the  view  of  the  occupants  of  the  buggy, 
whoever  they  were.  He  was  in  high 
spirits,  and  ran  his  horse  unmercifully 
over  the  soft  road  in  pure  excess  of  vi- 
tality. The  air  was  getting  cooler,  with 
a  foretaste  of  Indian  Summer,  and  his 
blood  tingled  with  the  mere  joy  of  ex- 
istence. It  was  in  his  finest  and  hap- 
piest mood  that  he  drew  rein  on  his 
horse  and  cantered  slowly  up  the  sward 
toward  the  house. 

On  the  veranda  he  found  Clover's 
maid,  who  seemed  to  be  very  busy — 
about  nothing  at  all,  as  it  occurred  to 
him  afterward — to  his  intense  surprise, 
she  informed  him  that : 

"  Miss  Gwynne  had  gone  out,  leaving 
no  word  behind ;  Mrs.  Peters  was  not 
well  and  was  lying  down,  Mr.  Peters 
was  at  the  stable." 

Somewhat  perplexed  at  this  very  un- 


Juleps  and  Clover  91 

usual  proceeding  on  the  part  of  Clover, 
he  led  his  horse  to  the  stable.  Clover 
had  never  before  broken  an  engagement 
with  him — a  virtue  he  had  admired  in 
her  the  more,  as  it  was  so  rare  in  other 
women.  No  one  could  be  found  at  the 
stable  except  the  small  'Lish,  who 
emerged  from  the  oat  bin  when  he  heard 
Ayer's  voice.  'Lish  had  profited  much 
of  late  from  the  Northerner's  generosity 
and  was  his  most  devoted  admirer. 

Ayer  told  him  to  give  his  horse  some 
water  when  he  was  cool  and  blanket 
him  until  he  returned.  He  then  in- 
quired where  Mr.  Peters  was. 

"I  don'  'no',  Marse  Ayerfo'shur; 
I'se  'spects  he  dun  gone  huntin'." 

As  Ayer  turned  to  leave  the  stable, 
he  noticed  Miss  Gwynne's  horse  stand- 
ing quietly  in  the  stall. 

"  'Lish,"  said  he,  "didn't  Miss  Gwynne 
ride  to-day  ?  " 

"  No,  Marse  Ayer,  she  dun'  druv  in  a 
buggy,"  'Lish  replied. 


92  Juleps  and  Clover 

The  buggy  seen  at  the  bridge  cross- 
ing flashed  back  on  Ayer's  mind. 

"  Whom  did  she  go  with,  'Lish,"  he 
asked ;  "  was  it  not  Mr.  Peters  ?  " 

'Lish's  big  eyes  rolled  over  toward 
the  oat  bin.  He  hitched  up  one  trouser 
leg  and  glanced  furtively  toward  the 
stable  door.  'Lish  scented  trouble  in 
the  air.  He  seemed  to  hesitate  between 
the  two  places,  which  one  to  select  for 
safety. 

Ayer  flung  him  a  quarter : 

"  Here,  here  boy,  speak  up,"  his  voice 
husky  with  nervous  impatience. 

"  Miss  Gwynne  dun  gone  with  Marse 
Harvey  White." 

"  Who  is  Harvey  White  ?  " 

"Dunno." 

"  When  did  you  first  see  him  around 
here?" 

"Las'  night,  he  come  from  Marse 
Parker's  place  an'  he  staid  pretty  late, 
when  — " 

'Lish    was  about  to   proceed  when 


Juleps  and  Clover  93 

Ayer  stopped  him,  and  straightening 
himself  up,  he  said  : 

"That  is  sufficient.  Just  tell  Miss 
Gwynne  that  I  called  for  her.  Bring 
out  my  horse  again." 

As  he  rode  away  'Lish  laid  his  newly- 
acquired  money  on  the  barn  floor, 
danced  a  coon-jine  on  it,  and  finished  up 
the  hilarious  celebration  by  turning  a 
handspring,  catching  up  the  coin  as  he 
went  over,  a  trick  of  which  he  was  very 
proud. 

Ayer  was  surprised  to  find  how  much 
annoyed  he  was  at  having  his  appoint- 
ment broken  in  such  an  unceremonious 
manner,  and  for  a  stranger,  of  whom  he 
had  never  heard. 

"  Still  this  White  may  be  kin  of  hers. 
They  are  all  related  down  here,"  he  re- 
flected. 

At  all  events  he  himself  had  no  claim 
on  her,  no  right  to  her  time,  and  yet — 
he  did  not  like  sharing  with  another. 

"Who    is    Harvey   White?"   asked 


94  Juleps  and  Clover 

Ayer,  as  he  strolled  with  Lee  through 
the  village  street  that  evening. 

"  He  is  a  '  Billy  Cobbs,'  the  sort  of 
cad  you  were  talking  about  the  other 
day."  Something  seemed  to  be  wrong 
with  Lee's  pipe.  It  engaged  all  his  at- 
tention. 

"  Where  is  he  from,  Lee  ?  " 

"  Oh,  he's  from  Raleigh,  this  state — 
I  have  met  him  only  once  and  did  not 
like  him." 

Lee  resumed  with  an  awkward  as- 
sumption of  indifference.  "  He  is  a  fair 
sample  of  the  New  South,  wealthy,  un- 
educated and  of  very  plain  origin.  You 
won't  care  for  him.  But  how  did  you 
hear  of  him  ?  Is  he  in  town  ?  "  and  Lee 
looked  at  Ayer  curiously. 

"  So  I  understand,"  said  Aver,  briefly, 
"but  I  have  not  seen  him." 

The  men  smoked  on  in  silence.  Lee 
glanced  at  his  companion  now  and  then, 
as  though  he  would  divine  his  moody 
thoughts.  Lee  was  discreet,  however, 


Juleps  and  Clover  95 

and  concluded  not  to  force  an  unwilling 
confidence. 

Presently  Ayer  aroused  himself  as 
one  awakening  from  a  trance. 

"  Heigh  oh  !  the  lights  of  the  village 
are  going  out.  It  must  be  about  time 
we  were  retracing  our  tracks."  And 
knocking  the  long  dead  ashes  from  his 
pipe,  they  started  toward  the  club  at  a 
livelier  pace,  through  the  balmy  dark- 
ness of  the  soft  summer's  night. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

A  Loaf  of  Bread  beneath  the  Bough, 
A  Flask  of  Wine,  a  Book  of  Verse — and  Thou 
Beside  me  singing  in  the  Wilderness — 
Oh !  Wilderness  were  Paradise  enow  : 

Omar  Khayyam. 

I  would  rather  be  near  to  you,  sweet, 

Than  to  win  an  immortal  name. 
I  would  rather  be  dear  to  you,  sweet, 

Than  to  leave  an  undying  fame 
In  the  minds  of  a  mighty  throng,  sweet. 

For  man's  memory  fades  away, 
And  there's  nothing  that  lasts  so  long,  sweet, 

As  the  love  of  a  summer  day. 

John  Bennett. 

THE  next  morning  Ayer  received  a 
note  which  read  as  follows : 

"  PETERSDALE. 
"DEAR  MR.  AYER: 

"  I  was  so  sorry  to  have  missed 
your  call  yesterday.  I  reached  the 
house  not  ten  minutes  after  you  had 

96 


Juleps  and  Clover  97 

gone.  You  might  have  waited  for  me. 
Joy  wishes  me  to  ask  you  to  lunch  with 
us  to-day. 

"  We  shall  expect  you  at  one. 
"  Hastily  and  sincerely, 
"  Wednesday.        CLOVER  GWYNNE." 

Ayer,  with  a  light  heart,  ordered  out 
his  horse  after  reading  the  note,  and 
rode  over  to  the  Peters'.  Miss  Gwynne 
came  down  in  her  riding  habit  and  shook 
hands  cordially.  She  made  no  explana- 
tion of  her  absence  of  the  day  before, 
calmly  leaving  on  him  the  blame  for 
coming  too  early  and  not  waiting  for 
her.  At  lunch,  as  she  was  very  viva- 
cious and  in  the  highest  spirits,  he  soon 
forgot  his  annoyance.  Naturally  good- 
natured,  Ayer  either  readily  forgave  a 
slight  or  resented  it  on  the  spot.  As 
Miss  Gwynne  was  in  her  riding  habit 
and  as  he  had  ridden  every  day  for  sev- 
eral weeks  with  her,  he  naturally  as- 
sumed that  she  was  going  with  him  that 
afternoon.  He  was  surprised,  when  just 


98  Juleps  and  Clover 

as  they  were  finishing  lunch,  a  knocking 
on  the  front  door  summoned  the  butler, 
who  came  back  a  few  moments  later  and 
whispered  a  few  words  to  Miss  Gwynne. 

«« Tell  Mr.  White,"  said  she,  quickly, 
"  that  I  am  quite  ready,  and  send  word 
to  John  in  the  stable  to  bring  up  my 
horse." 

"  Good  afternoon,  Mr.  Ayer,"  she 
said,  rising  and  going  to  the  door,  "I 
hope  I  shall  find  you  here  on  my  return ; 
I'm  going  for  a  canter  out  toward  Pine 
Ridge." 

Ayer  realized  the  situation  as  she  was 
speaking  and  it  flashed  over  him  that 
he  had  remained  too  long  in  Wainhill. 
He  looked  her  fixedly  in  the  eyes  as  he 
sipped  his  coffee.  She  returned  his 
look  smilingly  for  a  moment,  and  then 
with  a  trace  of  hauteur  abruptly  left 
the  room. 

His  first  impulse  was  to  follow  and 
remonstrate  with  her,  but  the  useless- 
ness  of  such  a  course  quickly  deterred 


Juleps  and  Clover  99 

him.  Then  after  chatting  about  indif- 
ferent matters  with  Peters  for  some 
time,  it  seemed  to  him  that  as  Mrs. 
Peters  had  left  them  and  Frazier  had 
apparently  not  noticed  anything  un- 
usual in  Miss  Gwynne's  actions,  he 
could  say  good-bye  to  his  host  then  and 
there,  pleading  business  in  the  North, 
ride  back  to  the  club,  pack  up  and 
leave  the  next  morning. 

Miss  Gwynne  would  be  apprised  of 
his  sudden  departure  by  note. 

To  have  left  Wainhill  that  day,  how- 
ever, required  more  wisdom  and  caution 
than  Wallace  Ayer  possessed. 

Nevertheless  he  came  near  acting  on 
the  idea,  at  least  so  far  as  to  leave  Pet- 
ersdale,  when  Lee  unexpectedly  arrived. 

Surprised  at  finding  Ayer  alone  with 
Frazier  Peters,  and  Miss  Gwynne  no- 
where to  be  seen,  he  demanded  the 
reason. 

'•'  Clover's  gone  out  to  ride  with  Har- 
vey White,"  answered  Peters.  "Sit 


loo         Juleps  and  Clover 

down.  She  can't  be  out  much  longer. 
It's  nearly  time  for  dinner,"  and  the 
kind-hearted  Southerner,  to  relieve  the 
situation,  rang  for  some  more  mint  julep, 
his  panacea  for  all  earthly  ills. 

Lee  looked  at  Ayer  and  gave  a  long, 
soft  whistle. 

That  whistle  settled  Ayer.  All  his 
stern  Northern  blood  surged  up  in  his 
veins,  and  he  determined  to  see  the  game 
through  to  the  end.  No  thought  of  re- 
tiring from  the  field  occurred  to  him 
again,  and  in  its  place  was  a  fixed  plan 
to  punish  Clover  Gwynne  for  the  slight 
she  had  put  upon  him. 

When  toward  evening  laughing  voices 
in  the  distance  announced  the  approach 
of  the  riders,  Ayer  was  still  there,  smok- 
ing quietly.  His  face  was  a  trifle  paler, 
but  his  manner  as  he  shook  hands  with 
Mr.  White  whom  Clover  presented  to 
him,  was  entirely  free  from  any  trace  of 
annoyance,  and  nothing  showed  the 
struggle  he  had  passed  through. 


Juleps  and  Clover          101 

Once  as  he  looked  at  Clover,  she 
caught  a  dangerous  glint  in  his  eyes 
that  seemed  for  a  second  stern  and 
cruel.  Clover  shuddered  involuntarily, 
and  looked  again.  She  must  have  been 
mistaken — nothing  but  kindliness  was 
to  be  seen  there. 

White  proved  to  be  a  large  and 
rather  fine  looking  man,  though  there 
was  something  about  his  bearing  that 
told  Ayer's  trained  instinct  that  his 
claim  to  the  title  of  gentleman,  had  not 
been  unquestioned. 

Mr.  White  did  not  stay  long  and  was 
not  invited  to  dinner  by  Mr.  Peters  ; 
although  he  evidently  expected  it,  Mr. 
Peters  quietly  remained  standing,  keep- 
ing the  others  on  their  feet  also,  until 
White  found  it  advisable  to  leave.  He 
had  a  moment's  conversation  aside  with 
Miss  Gwyune,  and  waving  his  hand 
familiarly  to  the  group  on  the  porch, 
he  mounted  and  rode  away.  Lee  had 
taken  no  trouble  to  conceal  his  dislike, 


1O2          Juleps  and  Clover 

and  the  Peters  appeared  to  feel  but  lit- 
tle regret  at  the  departure  of  Mr. 
White. 

That  evening  the  dinner  passed  off 
pleasantly,  and  Ayer  found  no  difficulty 
in  securing  an  interview  with  Clover  at 
its  close. 

As  he  joined  her  on  the  veranda, 
Clover  leaned  against  the  railing  and 
facing  him,  said: 

"I  see  that  you  are  annoyed  at  some- 
thing, Mr.  Ayer.  What  it  is,  I  cannot 
imagine,  as  you  usually  are  such  an  in- 
different person.  What  can  possibly 
have  gone  wrong?  Are  your  lawyers 
still  troubling  you?" 

"  Not  at  all,"  replied  Ayer,  slowly, 
"my  business  in  Wainhill  is  finished, 
and  I  rode  out  here  to  tell  you  that  I 
was  thinking  of  leaving  the  South  for 
good." 

He  watched  the  expression  of  her 
face  as  he  said  this,  but  if  he  expected 
any  show  of  feeling  at  .the  announce- 


Juleps  and  Clover          103 

ment  of  his  departure  he  was  disap- 
pointed. She  did  seem  sorry,  but  no 
stronger  emotion  was  visible  to  his  eyes. 

"What,  going?  Oh,  I'm  so  sorry. 
We  shall  miss  you  a  great  deal,  Mr. 
Ayer ;  I  shall  be  lonely  down  here." 

"  Is  that  all  you  have  to  say,  Clover  ? 
I  did  hope  that  my  departure  might 
interest  you  more." 

"  Why,  yes — I'm  sorry,  I  tell  you," 
said  Miss  Gwynne,with  a  laugh.  "  What 
more  do  you  wish  me  to  say  ?  Would 
you  like  to  have  me  weep  copiously  and 
entreat  you  to  stay  ?  " 

"No,  you're  too  cold  for  any  such 
demonstration  as  that — but  seriously, 
Clover,  I  for  one  am  heartily  sorry  to 
leave  you.  I've  grown  fond  of  you  in 
these  last  two  months  and  you  know 
it." 

"  Just  as  seriously  then,  Mr.  Ayer,  I 
too,  am  heartily  sorry  to  have  you  go," 
said  Clover,  laughing  at  his  earnest- 
ness, "  but  I  don't  see  why  you  should 


104          Juleps  and  Clover 

care.  You  came  down  here  on  business 
— amused  yourself  a  little  with  me  and 
amused  me  a  great  deal  with  you  ; — and 
now  you  go  North,  probably  never  to 
return  to  this  country  again,  and  you 
wonder  why  I  don't  feel  as  you  pretend 
you  do." 

"  There  is  no  pretense  about  it,"  in- 
terrupted Ayer,  now  thoroughly  aroused, 
"  I  wish  " — 

"  You  can  go  back  to  Lenox,"  con- 
tinued Clover,  without  noticing  the  in- 
terruption, "  and  in  a  week  you  will  be 
devoting  yourself  to  some  Northern 
girl — not  so  informal  and  affectionate 
as  I  have  been,  but  much  more  stylish 
and  suitable  for  the  debonair  Mr.  Ayer. 
Hue  !  In  ten  days  I  shall  be  forgotten." 

"  Clover,"  said  the  Northerner,  "  I 
shall  not  forget  you.  I  shall  always  re- 
member you  as  the  most  beautiful  and 
heartless  woman  I  have  known.  I  did 
think  you  cared  for  me  somewhat,"  and 
his  voice  trembled. 


Juleps  and  Clover  105 

"  I  never  said  so,"  replied  the  girl, 
quietly,  using  Mr.  Ayer's  own  words. 

"  But  you  acted  so,"  said  Ayer. 

Clover  sat  on  the  vine  hung  railing 
and  looked  out  into  the  night  beyond 
without  answering.  The  light  from  the 
hall  lamp  fell  on  her  face,  softly  illum- 
ing her  features  and  hair.  Ayer  was 
surprised  at  the  change  of  expression 
he  saw  creeping  over  her.  The  old 
tenderness  was  back  again,  when  she 
turned  once  more  to  look  at  him,  Bay- 
ing: 

"  Mr.  Ayer,  why  should  I  trust  you  ? 
I  know  little  of  men,  but  something 
tells  me  you  are  trifling  with  me." 

"  Trifling  with  you,  Clover  ?  I  may 
have  been  more  or  less  of  a  trifler  in  my 
life,  but  I  am  honest  when  I  tell  you 
that  I  mean  just  what  I  say.  Clover,  I 
do  love  you  with  all  the  strength  of  a 
strong  man's  soul.  If  you  look  me  in 
the  face  you  will  believe,"  and  he  took 
her  hand  and  turned  her  toward  him. 


106          Juleps  and  Clover 

Clover  smiled  and  looked  at  him 
archly  for  a  moment,  then  back  into  the 
night  and  murmured : 

"  If  I  only  could  trust  you,  but  I  am 
almost  afraid  to  love  you." 

"What  can  I  do  to  convince  you  of 
my  sincerity,"  said  Ayer,  with  increas- 
ing earnestness.  "  Name  anything." 

"  How  like  a  man !  "  replied  Clover 
jestingly,  "  they  always  want  to  do  some- 
thing. You  might  swim  the  Manola 
again ;  although  that  would  not  be 
much  of  a  test,  as  you  did  it  once  for 
the  sake  of  a  mint  julep.  No,  Wallace," 
she  added,  gently,  "we  would  better 
leave  matters  as  they  are.  I  should  be 
out  of  place  in  New  York  and  you 
would  find  life  monotonous  on  a  planta- 
tion." 

"You  would  carry  New  York  by 
storm,  Clover,  with  your  beauty  and 
your  sweet  ingenuous  manners."  He 
paused — "I  cannot  be  eloquent  in 
these  matters,  I  simply  appeal  to  you. 


Juleps  and  Clover          107 

Will  you  marry  me?  No?  Then  say 
you  cannot  love  me,  but  not  that  you 
cannot  trust  me.  Clover,  answer  me." 

She  glanced  at  him  shyly  for  a  second, 
and  then  with  a  half  convulsive  gasp, 
she  stood  up  near  to  him,  and  said : 

"  Wallace,  I  will  not  say  that  I  can- 
not love  you,  for  I  have  loved  you  from 
the  day  we  met,  and  now  I  will  trust 

you."  " 

Wallace  Ayer  was  never  able  to  re- 
call with  any  clearness  the  rest  of  that 
interview — his  new  found  happiness 
seemed  to  overwhelm  his  senses.  After 
the  mortification  of  the  afternoon,  the 
contrast  seemed  all  the  greater.  Look- 
ing back  in  after  days  on  that  evening 
of  perfect  happiness — as  he  crouched 
before  the  camp-fire  or  toiled  through 
the  dreary  snow  clad  wastes  of  the  far 
North, — in  a  ballroom  with  the  scent 
of  roses  he  would  seem  to  be  again  on 
that  moonlit  veranda  with  a  girl  in 
white.  Sometimes  it  seemed  to  him  an 


io8          Juleps  and  Clover 

hallucination — a  pliautom  sent  to  mock 
his  heart  desolation,  or  again,  he  would 
start  up  from  his  blankets  in  the  frozen 
night,  with  strange  noises  in  his  ears — 
a  strange  burning  at  his  brow,  and 
glancing  at  the  motionless  form  of  his 
companion,  and  the  stars,  scarce  more 
distant  than  the  pine  tops,  he  would 
murmur,  "  but  it  was  worth  all — all. 
No  matter  what  happens  now,  the  re- 
membrance still  is  mine." 


It  was  in  absolute  peace  and  content 
that  he  sought  out  Lee's  room  late  that 
night  after  leaving  Miss  Gwyune,  and 
aroused  him. 

Lee  felt  that  something  serious  had 
happened  to  make  Ayer  wake  him  at 
that  unholy  hour,  and  was  much  re- 
lieved when  a  light  was  struck  and  he 
saw  how  cheerful  his  friend  looked. 

"  Congratulate  me,  Howard,"  said 
Ayer,  sitting  down  on  the  edge  of  the 


Juleps  and  Clover          109 

bed.  "  I'm  engaged  to  Clover  Gwynne. 
I  have  her  permission  to  tell  you,  but  it 
is  to  be  a  secret  to  all  others,  until 
her  father  is  informed.  Shake,  old 
man." 

"Engaged?"  repeated  Lee,  "en- 
gaged?" sitting  up  in  bed  with  a  start 
and  ignoring  the  proffered  hand  of  his 
friend.  "  Are  you  crazy — engaged  ?  — 
you,  Wallace  Ayer,  engaged  to  Clover 
Gwynne  ?  Impossible." 

"  Crazy  !  impossible  !  what  do  you 
mean  ?  It  is  you,  Howard,  that  is  crazy. 
Why  don't  you  congratulate  me  ?  " 

Lee  gazed  at  his  friend  for  a  moment, 
sadly,  and  then  said,  "  It's  all  my  fault. 
What  an  ass  I  have  been.  I  never 
supposed  }'ou  were  in  earnest.  Yes,  I 
suppose  I  congratulate  you.  Are  you 
going  to  be  married  ?  " 

"  Lee,  I  don't  understand  your  con- 
duct," said  Ayer,  with  growing  annoy- 
ance, "you  talk  strangely.  As  to  the 
wedding,  nothing  is  settled  except  that 


lio          Juleps  and  Clover 

you  are  to  be  best  man.  What  is  the 
meaning  of  all  this  ?  I  demand  to  know 
what  you  mean." 

"  Do  not  demand,  or  I  shall  say 
nothing,"  replied  Lee,  getting  out  of 
bed.  "  Come,  Wallace,  old  man,  we 
are  too  good  friends  to  quarrel  over 
words,  or  anything  else.  This  is  a 
serious  matter.  Can  you  talk  ration- 
ally for  a  moment  and  listen  to  me, 
who  can  tell  you  things  that  no  other 
being  could  mention  in  your  pres- 
ence ?  " 

"  You  are  obscure  in  your  language, 
Lee,  but  pardon  me  for  what  I  said. 
I'm  so  happy  to-night,  and  I  rushed  to 
you  to  receive  your  congratulations,  and 
you  have  nothing  for  me  except  long 
faces." 

"  Wallace,"  said  the  Southerner, 
"listen  to  me  patiently  for  a  moment. 
You  must  not  marry  this  girl. 

"  Do  you  remember  telling  me  of  a 
friend  that  married  a  woman  you  knew, 


Juleps  and  Clover          1 1 1 

in  blissful  ignorance  of  her  past,  and 
there  was  not  a  man  dared  breathe  a 
word  to  her  fiancd,  and  how  you  all 
laughed  as  he  inarched  proudly  down 
the  aisle  with  her  hanging  coyly  on  his 
arm?  You  said  his  very  coat  must  have 
laughed  in  its  sleeve.  Now,  I  am  not 
going  to  be  as  cowardly  as  you  men 
were  on  that  occasion  and  I — why, 
what's  the  matter  ?  " 

Ayer  had  risen  to  his  full  height,  and 
clutching  the  back  of  his  chair  with  a 
grasp  that  left  his  fingers  white  and 
bloodless,  he  said  hoarsely  and  slowly, 
emphasizing  each  word : 

"  Howard  Lee,  you  are  my  best  friend, 
and  you  know  me.  Never  as  long  as 
you  live  breathe  a  word  of  this  to  me. 
I  know  what  you  mean  and  am  thank- 
you  have  not  said  it,  or  else  we  could 
never  speak  again." 

His  eyes  became  bloodshot,  and  with 
a  tremendous  effort  he  mastered  himself 


112          Juleps  and  Clover 

and  continued  in  the  same  strained 
voice : 

"  Past !  Miss  Gwynne  is  too  young 
to  have  a  past.  Believe  it — I  will  not 
believe  it ;  no,  never.  She  is  as  artless 
as  a  weed.  Hers  is  absolutely  the  pur- 
est soul  I  have  ever  been  permitted  to 
gaze  into.  Why,  Howard,  my  whole 
life  has  changed  its  course.  With  her 
love  to  strengthen  me  I  feel  strong  to 
battle  with  all  the  world  to  conquer  it. 
A  past?  Clover  has  the  fresh  guile- 
lessness  of  a  child,  combined  with  the 
half-awakened  reserve  of  the  spring- 
time of  dawning  womanhood."  Ayer 
ceased  to  speak,  his  voice  having  fallen 
to  a  hoarse  whisper  because  of  over- 
powering emotion. 

Lee,  when  he  saw  Ayer  quivering 
with  excitement,  had  anticipated  vio- 
lence, but  when  he  perceived  the  North- 
erner's self-control,  he  touched  him 
gently  on  the  arm. 

"  Ayer,"     said     he,     "  I     ask     your 


Juleps  and  Clover          113 

pardon.  I  was  honest  in  my  belief 
when  I  spoke,  but,  if  you  do  not  believe 
it,  I  shall  not.  Can  you  forgive  me  ?  It 
would  be  impossible  for  any  one  else  to 
do  so,  but  I  know  you  will." 

Ayer  looked  up,  and  his  face  was 
calm  and  set.  He  took  Lee's  proffered 
hand  and  wrung  it. 

"  I  do  forgive  you,  Howard,  with  my 
whole  heart,  and  you  must  do  the  same 
for  me  if  I  was  hasty  in  words.  We 
Saxons  are  not  given  to  demonstrations, 
but  let  acts  speak.  I  may  need  a  friend 
some  day." 

"  You'll  never  find  me  wanting,"  re- 
plied the  Southerner,  returning  Ayer's 
grasp  with  interest. 

Little  thinking  of  the  truth  of  the 
words  he  spoke,  Howard  Lee  stood 
there  in  the  dim  light  of  the  flickering 
candle,  a  magnificent  specimen  of  the 
Southerner.  His  clear  cut  features  and 
proud  bearing  showed  how  much  blood 
he  owed  to  Norman  ancestors,  and  his 


114          Juleps  and  Clover 

black  curly  hair,  clustered  about  his 
temples,  gave  him  an  almost  boyish 
look.  Quick  to  respond  to  generous 
impulses,  he  still  had  much  of  the 
stability  of  his  Northern  friend,  al- 
though his  physique  was  cast  in  a 
smaller  mould. 

Ayer  resembled  the  Southerner 
closely  in  many  points,  and  had  much 
the  same  sympathy  with  all  that  was 
chivalrous  and  brave,  but  he  had  lived 
in  a  more  practical  and  workaday 
world,  and  his  good  sense  seldom  left 
him.  Strongly  made,  with  strong  fea- 
tures and  light  brown  hair,  his  eyes 
were  piercing  and  keen,  and  he  had 
a  quiet  ease  of  manner  rare  among  his 
restless  countrymen. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Oh  Thou,  who  Man  of  baser  Earth  didst  make, 
And  ev'rt  with  Paradise  devise  the  Snake : 
For  all  the  Sm  wherewith  the  Face  of  Man 
Is  blacken'd — Man's  forgiveness  give — and  take. 
Omar  Khayyam. 

AT  breakfast,  the  next  day,  Clover 
was  radiantly  beautiful,  and  seemed  so 
superlatively  happy,  that  Mrs.  Peters 
looked  at  her  sharply  and  exchanged  a 
significant  glance  with  her  husband,  and 
even  Lee  put  a  trifle  more  pressure  into 
shaking  her  hand  than  usual  by  way  of 
silent  congratulation. 

It  was  necessary  for  Ayer  to  return 
to  town  that  morning  and  arrange  his 
affairs  for  a  prolonged  stay  in  the  South, 
where,  as  far  as  any  of  his  plans  were 
fixed,  he  now  meant  to  settle.  Miss 
Gwj^nne  objected  strongly  to  his  leav- 
ing her  on  the  first  day  of  their  en- 
115 


n6          Juleps  and  Clover 

gagement,  but  when  he  reminded  her 
that  she  too  ought  to  write  her  family 
and  get  her  father's  consent,  she  re- 
luctantly yielded  on  condition  that  he 
should  be  on  hand  promptly  at  seven 
for  dinner.  This  he  promised  to  do  and 
the  horses  were  sent  for. 

On  reaching  the  club,  Ayer  tried  to 
apply  his  mind  to  business  and  catch  up 
with  his  correspondence,  but  his  thoughts 
were  elsewhere,  and  after  several  at- 
tempts  to  work  he  threw  down  his  pen 
and  called  Lee,  who  was  reading  in  the 
adjoining  room. 

"  Lee,  I  can't  work  to-day.  I'm  too 
restless.  Will  you  take  a  good  stiff 
ride  with  me,  after  we  have  had  some 
lunch?" 

Lee  laid  down  his  book  and  joined 
Ayer.  "  I  thought  you  would  not  stick 
very  long  at  your  letters,  to-day,"  said 
he.  "Yes,  I  feel  like  having  a  good 
run,"  and  he  rang  the  bell  for  Pete,  to 
consult  in  reference  to  luncheon. 


Juleps  and  Clover          117 

The  meal  was  quickly  served  and 
disposed  of,  and  the  horses  brought 
out.  The  two  friends  seemed  to  feel 
that  perhaps  this  was  their  last  day  to- 
gether in  the  old  way,  and  Lee,  espe- 
cially, was  very  blue  over  the  coming 
separation. 

They  raced  and  ran  their  horses 
throughout  the  long  afternoon,  until 
about  four  o'clock  they  found  them- 
selves near  the  top  of  Pine  Ridge,  a  low 
mountain  about  three  miles  from  Peters- 
dale.  The  country  between  was  hilly 
and  sloped  gently  toward  the  Manola. 

After  a  particularly  sharp  run,  which 
brought  them  almost  to  the  crest  of  the 
ridge,  Ayer  noticed  a  slight  limp  in  his 
horse's  near  forefoot,  and  on  dismount- 
ing, he  found  that  the  animal  had  cast 
a  shoe.  Here  was  a  pleasant  predica- 
ment. The  bridle  path  they  were  on 
led  them  a  good  ten  miles,  before 
coming  out  at  the  Peters',  and  the  road 
was  covered  with  loose  stones,  which 


n8          Juleps  and  Clover 

were  almost  certain  to  cut  the  animal's 
unprotected  hoof. 

"  You  certainly  are  an  unlucky  horse- 
man," said  Lee.  "  The  only  thing  you 
can  do  now,  is  to  walk  home  and  lead 
your  horse,  and  that  will  make  you  late 
for  dinner.  Imagine  Miss  Gwynne's 
despair  on  your  not  appearing.  Come 
to  think  of  it,  though,  you  can  let  me 
lead  your  horse  back  at  leisure,  and 
you  can  make  a  cross  cut  through  the 
woods." 

"  That's  a  capital  idea,  Lee,"  said 
Ayer.  "  Peters'  must  be  in  this  direc- 
tion," pointing  westward. 

"  Yes,"  said  Lee,  riding  a  few  yards 
ahead. 

"  Come  over  here,  can  you  see  from 
here,  that  gully?  There  is  a  small 
stream  that  starts  in  it,  a  little  below 
here,  and  flows  almost  directly  to  the 
Peters'.  It  runs  into  the  Manola  just 
above  the  stables.  Follow  that  and  you 
cannot  lose  your  way." 


Juleps  and  Clover          119 

Lee  took  the  horse  and  soon  disap- 
peared down  the  winding  road.  Ayer 
watched  him  out  of  sight  and  then 
started  toward  the  gully. 

A  little  hard  climbing  brought  him 
to  the  spring  that  Lee  had  described. 
He  leaned  over  and  took  a  drink  from 
the  clear,  cold  water  where  it  sprang 
from  its  underground  sources,  and  then 
strolled  leisurely  along,  keeping  within 
sight  or  hearing  of  the  running  water. 
A  mile  or  two  brought  him  to  a  ravine 
where  the  brook,  now  swollen  to  a  re- 
spectable stream,  poured  down  through 
the  stones  with  a  bustle  and  noise  out 
of  all  proportion  to  its  size. 

Ayer  climbed  a  neighboring  rock  and 
saw  that  he  was  within  easy  distance  of 
the  buildings  on  Peters'  place.  Glanc- 
ing at  his  watch  he  found  it  was  only 
five  o'clock.  "  Plenty  of  time,"  thought 
he  to  himself,  "  I'll  find  a  cool  place  by 
the  brook  and  rest  a  bit." 

So  he  returned  to  the   stream   and 


12O          Juleps  and  Clover 

picked  his  way  slowly  over  the  moss- 
covered  rocks.  A  little  lower  the  brook 
broadened  into  a  deep,  clear  pool  near 
the  edge  of  the  gorge.  Beyond  this  it 
emerged  into  a  bushy  undergrowth 
tract  of  land,  and  then  through  pastures 
ran  into  the  Manola. 

The  flash  of  a  trout  caught  Ayer's 
eye  as  he  came  to  the  pool,  and,  after 
watching  for  a  moment  to  see  the  fish 
appear  again,  he  sought  out  a  con- 
venient seat  between  two  rocks,  uncon- 
sciously concealing  himself  behind  the 
one  on  the  lower  side. 

The  place  and  its  surroundings  re- 
minded him  of  his  own  Northern  woods. 
The  clear  trout  stream  and  moss-grown 
rocks,  the  pines  and  hanging  ivy  recalled 
many  a  stream  where  he  had  fished,  in 
his  boyhood.  All  this  was  past  now, 
he  thought  to  himself,  a  sober  married 
life  awaited  him  in  the  future  ;  no  more 
wanderings;  no  more  lonely  hunts  in 
the  forests  he  loved  so  well ;  no  more 


Juleps  and  Clover          121 

reckless  riding  across  country ;  his  life 
was  of  value  now;  no  more  flirtations 
— no  certainly,  no  more  of  them.  His 
thoughts  turned  to  sweet  Clover. 

"  It  must  be  time  to  start  for  the 
house,  if  I  am  to  dress  for  dinner,"  he 
thought,  but  he  did  not  stir.  The  sun 
was  sinking  and  the  shadows  lengthen- 
ing. The  trout  began  to  come  out 
from  their  hiding  places  under  the  bank, 
and  to  snap  eagerly  at  stray  flies  float- 
ing down  the  current.  A  squirrel 
scampered  on  the  rock  opposite.  It 
had  seen  Ayer,  and  at  first,  inspected 
him  with  fierce  chattering,  and  had 
ventured  slowly  near  him  and  then 
dashed  back  in  feigned  alarm,  but  the 
little  animal  soon  concluded  the  silent 
figure  was  harmless  and  did  not  deign 
to  take  further  notice  of  it.  It  had 
been  scampering  in  and  out  through 
the  last  rays  of  the  sun,  when  suddenly 
it  sat  up  and,  switching  its  tail,  began 
to  scold  furiously. 


122          Juleps  and  Clover 

Ayer  was  too  good  a  woodsman  not 
to  know  from  the  squirrel's  behavior, 
that  it  had  perceived  something  ap- 
proaching. He  lay  still  and  crouched 
lower,  hoping  to  see  some  wild  wood- 
land creature  come  to  the  pool  for  its 
evening  drink ;  perhaps  some  stray  fox 
or  wild-cat  might  venture  from  the 
wood,  or,  more  probably  a  deer  might 
stray  along  the  brook.  To  his  surprise 
a  moment  later  he  heard  voices,, 

The  speakers  came  rapidly  nearer, 
and  then  emerged  from  the  bushes 
below,  and  sat  down  on  a  fallen  tree  at 
the  outlet  of  the  pool,  not  twenty  feet 
away  from  where  Ayer  lay. 

Ayer  recognized  the  voices  of  Clover 
Gwynne  and  Harvey  White. 

"  You  still  have  a  little  time  to  talk, 
Clover,  before  you  must  go  back.  Sit 
down  on  this  tree ;  "  Ayer  heard  White 
say.  "  So  you're  really  going  to  marry 
this  Yankee.  Well,  well,  it's  a  good 


Juleps  and  Clover          123 

joke.  When  did  you  bring  him  to 
time?" 

"  Only  last  night,"  replied  Miss 
Gwynne,  "  I  do  not  see  any  joke  about 
it.  Now  that  it's  over,  I  am  glad  I  did 
it.  I  rather  like  my  Northerner,"  she 
added,  caressingly. 

"  Oh !  I  reckon  he'll  do.  He  seems 
to  be  very  much  in  earnest.  Let  me 
give  you  a  piece  of  advice,  Clover.  Be 
careful  how  you  arouse  him.  I  am  in- 
clined to  think,"  White  added,  "  that 
he  will  prove  your  master  in  a  very 
short  time.  But  tell  me,  why  do  you 
want  to  actually  marry  him  ?  " 

"  I  really  don't  know,"  replied  Clover, 
"perhaps  I  shall  change  my  mind  be- 
fore we  are  married,  but  I  don't  think 
I  shall — this  time.  He  has  plenty  of 
money  and  can  give  me  any  position  I 
want  in  New  York.  I'm  tired  of  living 
down  here  in  the  backwoods,"  and  after 
a  moment,  she  resumed,  "  besides,  I 
shall  get  away  from  you,  Harvey." 


124          Juleps  aijd  Clover 

"  After  all  these  years,  I  reckon  not," 
replied  Mr.  White,  with  a  laugh.  "  I 
calculate  to  go  North  myself  next 
winter.  I'll  have  your  husband  put  me 
up  at  the  clubs  and  introduce  me  to 
society." 

"  He  won't  do  it,"  replied  Clover, 
quietly. 

"Why  not?" 

"  I  won't  let  him." 

"  You  will  not  let  him  ?  you  will  see 
that  he  does  it,"  replied  the  man. 

Clover  was  silent  for  a  few  moments, 
and  then  said : 

"  I  think  I  shall  go  back  now." 

"Not  yet,"  said  White,  "come  sit 
down  again,  nearer,  so.  I'm  not  through 
yet.  You  have  not  told  me  the  true 
reasons  why  you  are  going  to  marry 
this  man  Ayer." 

"  Well,  if  you  must  hear  the  truth 
again,"  replied  the  girl,  desperately; 
"  as  you  know  already,  my  father  with 
his  old  time  pride  of  family  will  not 


Juleps  and  Clover          125 

hear  to  my  marrying  you,  and  on  the 
other  hand,  you  are  too  proud  to  marry 
me  without  full  recognition,  even  if  I 
were  to  consent  to  defy  my  family. 
Besides,  I  am  not  going  to  allow  myself 
to  be  under  your  influence  any  longer. 

"  Harvey,"  she  added,  more  gently, 
"  you  know  I  have  always  cared  for  you 
and  I  always  shall.  You  will  think 
more  of  me,  Harvey,  when  you  have  lost 
me." 

"  Lost  you.  I  told  you,  Clover,  that  I 
had  no  intention  of  losing  you.  What 
difference  does  it  make  to  me  whether 
you  are  married  or  not  ?  " 

"  Harvey  White,  I  do  not  think  you 
have  a  particle  of  honor  in  you,  or  you 
would  riot  talk  so  to  me  when  I  am  try- 
ing to  do  the  right  thing ;  "  and  after  a 
moment's  pause,  Clover  said,  without 
emotion : 

"  You're  a  brute." 

White  merely  repeated  his  cynical 
laugh  and  answered : 


126          Juleps  and  Clover 

"  Go  on,  call  me  any  name  you  like, 
my  sweet  girl.  You  look  all  the  prettier 
when  you  get  angry.  So  you  call  it 
doing  the  right  thing  to  marry  another 
man  just  because  I  won't  truckle  to 
these  tide  water  aristocrats.  Perhaps 
you'll  go  to  this  Ayer  with  some 
romance  about  my  persecuting  you, 
when  you  are  married  and  try  to  arouse 
his  Yankee  blood  to  call  me  out,  eh  ?  " 
and  White  laughed  again  at  the  idea  of 
a  Northerner  having  blood  enough  for 
such  extreme  measures. 

"  Perhaps  he  might  come  out  if  you 
tried  him,"  said  Miss  Gwynne.  "  At  any 
rate,  Harvey,  I  must  go  now  or  there 
will  be  another  scene  after  dinner.  I 
think  Mr.  Ayer  was  a  little  jealous  of 
my  riding  with  you  the  other  day,"  she 
said,  coquettishly. 

"  All  right,"  replied  White,  "  perhaps 
you  had  better  start  back  now.  It  is 
understood  then  that  you  are  to  meet 
me  to-morrow  at  four  by  this  pool.  It 


Juleps  and  Clover          127 

may  be  the  last  time  that  I  shall  see 
you  for  months." 

"  Yes,"  said  Clover,  "  I  suppose  I 
shall  be  here ;  but  do  go  now.  You 
must  not  come  down  to  the  house,  as 
Howard  Lee  is  there  and  he  is  not  so 
infatuated  and  blind  as  my  North- 
erner." 

"Very  well,  Clover,"  said  White, 
with  a  sort  of  rough  tenderness  in  his 
voice  ;  "I  shall  keep  out  of  the  way 
until  you  are  married.  I  am  sorry  to 
let  you  go  back  alone,  for  it  is  getting 
late,  but  your  fine  friend  may  come 
looking  for  you  in  this  direction,  and  I 
should  hate  to  have  to  hurt  him,  now 
you  are  so  very  fond  of  him.  Good- 
night, little  girl.  Good-night,"  and 
White  held  her  close  as  she  held  up 
her  fresh  young  lips  for  his  passionate 
kiss.  Ayer  heard  the  bushes  crack  as 
the  Carolinian  disappeared. 

Clover  Gwynne  apparently  had  not 
stirred. 


128          Juleps  and  Clover 

The  sound  of  White's  footsteps  grew 
less  and  less,  and  finally  all  was  silent, 
Ayer  became  conscious  that  night  had 
fallen  unobserved  during  this  interview. 
The  trees  and  rocks  across  the  pool 
were  shadowy  and  indistinct  in  the 
growing  darkness.  "So,"  he  thought, 
"  this  was  what  Lee, — good  slow-going 
conscientious  faithful  Lee, — attempted 
to  tell  last  night  and  came  near  being 
brained  for  his  courage." 

He  raised  himself  noiselessly  to  his 
feet. 

He  was  stiff  and  cramped  from  lying 
motionless  for  so  long  a  time.  Clover's 
figure  could  be  seen  outlined  against 
the  bushes  and  without  a  sound,  he 
folded  his  arms  and  looked  at  her,  sum- 
moning all  his  self-restraint. 

"  Clover  Gwynne,"  he  said,  slowly, 
suppressing  any  signs  of  anger  in  his 
voice.  The  girl  sprang  from  the  rock 
as  though  a  snake  had  stung  her,  too 
startled  even  to  scream.  She  could 


Juleps  and  Clover          129 

not  see  more  than  a  dim  figure,  as  he 
stood  in  the  deep  shadow  of  the  rocks. 

"  Miss  Clover  Gwynne,"  he  repeated, 
slowly,  "  I  am  Wallace  Ayer,  whom 
you  promised  less  than  four  and  twenty 
hours  ago  to  love  and  marry. 

"  Don't  run,"  he  added,  fiercely,  as  he 
detected  a  motion  on  the  girl's  part, 
"  You  have  nothing  to  fear  from  me.  I 
shall  not  touch  you,  if  you  remain  quiet 
and  listen  to  what  I  have  to  say.  If 
you  run  I  shall  bring  you  back." 

"  Oh,  Wallace,"  cried  Clover,  in  an 
agony  of  despair,  "  don't  talk  to  me  like 
that,  you  don't  understand.  Let  me 
tell  you  " —  and  she  took  a  step  toward 
him. 

"  You  need  come  no  nearer,  Miss 
Gwynne,"  said  Ayer,  coldly,  with  bit- 
ing contempt  in  his  words: 

"  Pray  be  seated.  I  have  much  to 
say." 

Clover  Gwynne  sank  back  on  the 
moss-grown  rock,  and  buried  her  face 


130          Juleps  and  Clover 

in  her  Lands,  completely  overawed  by 
the  man's  terrible  calm. 

"  I  came  here  by  accident,  Miss 
Gwynne,  and  sat  down  by  this  pool  to 
think  of  you.  This  was  the  first  day 
that  I  had  loved  a  woman.  I  don't  think 
that  I  have  been  worse  than  my  fellow- 
men,  but  I  suppose  I  have  done  my 
share  toward  making  it  impossible  for 
other  men  to  find  innocence  and  purity. 
I  have  done  enough  damage,  God 
knows,  to  richly  deserve  this  punish- 
ment. Women  of  all  kinds,  have  I 
known,  good  and  bad,  high  and  low, 
but  never  until  this  day  did  I  think 
that  a  face  like  yours  could  hide  a 
heart  so  false.  I  have  heard  all — all  I 
tell  you,"  his  voice  wavering  with  sup- 
pressed emotion. 

"Is  such  your  boasted  Southern 
honor  ?  No  !  There  are  men  who  are 
as  brave  and  honorable  here  as  else- 
where, and  I  believe  that  here  too  are 


Juleps  and  Clover          131 

women  whose  lives  are  riot  a  lie.  But 
you  are  not  among  them. 

"  I  would  not  have  cared  for  any 
fault  of  yours  if  you  had  not  said  you 
loved  me.  All  else  I  could  forgive — 
that  never " —  Clover  seemed  to 
shrivel  and  whiten  as  does  a  bit  of 
paper  when  consumed  by  red-hot  coals. 
He  paused  for  a  moment,  and  then  as 
speaking  more  to  himself  than  her,  he 
continued : 

"  I  shall  leave  you  to  yourself.  Your 
friend  shall  answer  for  you.  I  under- 
stand that  he  is  the  best  shot  in  Caro- 
lina— so  much  the  better." 

He  stopped  abruptly,  and  there  was 
silence  by  the  pool,  unbroken,  save  by 
the  sobs  from  where  Clover  Gwynne 
now  lay  upon  her  face. 

Ayer  sat  for  some  time  buried  in 
thought.  Then  he  slowly  rose  and 
strode  to  Clover's  side.  He  leaned  over 
her,  and  picking  her  up  roughly,  placed 
her  on  her  feet,  saying  in  a  harsh  tone  : 


132          Juleps  and  Clover 

"Come  back  to  the  house  with  me 
now." 

"I  want  to  be  alone.  Leave  me," 
the  girl  sobbed,  sinking  back  on  the 
ground. 

"  Come,  Miss  Gwynne,  I  tell  you 
come.  You  obey  Mr.  White  readily 
enough — perhaps  you  will  find  it  con- 
venient to  obey  me  for  a  few 
moments,"  he  said  sternly. 

The  girl  silently  rose  and  followed 
him  as  he  led  the  way  down  the  dim 
path  that  ran  from  the  pool  to  the 
farm.  Just  before  they  came  to  the 
house  they  passed  a  small  summer- 
house.  Here  Ayer  paused,  and  taking 
his  companion  by  the  arm,  he  entered 
it. 

"  A  few  words  more  before  we  part, 
Miss  Gwynne.  I  have  no  ill  will 
toward  you,  now  that  the  first  heat  of 
my  anger  is  gone,  and  I  hope  this  even- 
ing's work  will  not  wreck  your  life  as 
it  has  mine. 


Juleps  and  Clover          133 

"  The  next  time  an  honest  man  and 
a  gentleman  offers  you  his  love,  take  it 
and  be  as  happy  as  you  can.  You  have 
ruined  my  faith  in  women,  but  you  are 
young  and  have  much  to  live  for.  This 
need  only  be  a  warning  to  you.  You 
will  have  no  further  trouble  from  White 
in  the  future.  I  will  answer  for  that. 

"  When  we  reach  the  house  you  will 
go  to  your  room — you  have  a  headache 
— you  understand.  I  shall  attend  to 
the  other  excuses.  Lee  and  I  leave  for 
the  North  very  shortly  and  I  shall  not 
cross  your  path  again  and  now — good- 
bye :  what !  have  you  nothing  to  say  ?  " 

Ayer  paused  for  a  moment  to  await 
her  reply,  and  then  turning  his  back  on 
the  girl  he  had  loved  so  passionately, 
left  the  place. 

Upon  mounting  the  steps  of  the  ve- 
randa, Ayer  found  Mrs.  Peters  with  her 
husband  and  Lee  just  coming  from  din- 
ner. In  a  few  words  he  declined 
Peters'  offer  to  have  dinner  served 


134          Juleps  and  Clover 

again,  and  told  that  gentleman  that  he 
feared  he  would  have  to  leave  for  the 
North  very  suddenly  and  might  not  see 
them  again. 

"  I  cannot  tell  you,  Mrs.  Peters," 
said  he,  turning  to  that  astonished 
lady,  "how  much  I  feel  indebted  to  you 
for  the  glimpse  of  Southern  life  I  have 
enjoyed  under  your  roof  and  it  is  quite 
useless  to  try  and  express  my  thanks. 
Good-bye,"  he  continued,  shaking 
hands.  "  I  have  said  good-bye  to  Miss 
Gwynne  and  explained  to  her  the  rea- 
sons for  my  departure,  which  probably 
seems  so  strange  to  you ;  good-bye, 
Peters,"  and  he  left  abruptly  for  the 
stable,  followed  by  Lee,  dazed  with 
amazement. 

The  two  friends  rode  some  distance 
without  speaking — Ayer  being  wrapped 
in  the  gloomiest  of  thoughts.  Every 
inch  of  the  road  they  were  passing 
over,  brought  up  some  association  with 
Clover  Gwynne. 


Juleps  and  Clover          135 

Lee  had  far  too  much  tact  not  to 
await  his  friend's  own  time  to  speak. 
From  the  little  he  had  seen  of  Ayer's 
face,  and  from  the  obvious  effort  he  had 
shown  in  speaking  to  the  Peters,  Lee 
knew  that  some  catastrophe  had  oc- 
curred of  sufficient  moment  to  cause 
the  engagement  to  be  broken.  The 
Northerner's  features  had  been 
white  and  drawn,  but  his  eyes  had 
gleamed  fiercely  when  the  light  from 
the  stable  lamps  fell  on  them.  At 
length  Ayer  turned  in  his  saddle  and 
speaking  quickly  and  without  visible 
emotion,  he  told  Lee  the  events  of  the 
afternoon,  repeating  the  conversation 
he  had  overheard  and  his  own  talk 
with  Miss  Gwynne.  He  stated  only 
the  facts  as  they  occurred,  without 
comment. 

As  Ayer  finished  his  story  of 
treachery,  Lee  drew  his  horse  closer  to 
his  friend's,  and  clasped  Ayer's  hand  in 
a  grip  that  would  have  wrung  a  cry 


136          Juleps  and  Clover 

from  a  Stoic,  but  which  brought  no  re- 
sponse from  Ayer,  in  whom  mental  suf- 
fering had  left  no  room  for  physical 
pain.  Something  of  Ayer's  calm  waa 
caught  by  the  Southerner,  whose  first 
impulse  was  to  ride  to  Parker's  planta- 
tion and  settle  with  White,  then  and 
there.  He  waited  a  moment  for  any 
suggestion  from  Ayer  and  then  said : 

"  Do  you  suppose  that  man  will  keep 
his  date  to-morrow,  or  will  he  be 
warned  of  what  has  happened  ?  " 

"  I  left  Miss  G wynne  in  a  condition 
from  which  she  will  not  recover  in 
time  to  think  of  White.  The  girl  is 
not  really  bad  and  I  think  she  is  a 
trifle  broken  up  over  this  little  affair." 
After  a  moment's  reflection,  Ayer  said  : 

"  No,  Miss  Gwynne  won't  warn  him." 


CHAPTER  X. 

"  Alike  for  those  who  for  TO-DAY  prepare 
And  those  that  after  a  TO-MORROW  stare 
A  Muezzin  from  the  Tower  of  Darkness  cries 
Fools !  your  Reward  is  neither  Here  nor  There  ! " 
Omar  Khayyam. 

THE  next  afternoon  at  four  found 
Mr.  White  on  a  rock  at  the  outlet  of 
the  trout  pool,  where  he  had  left  Miss 
Gwynne  the  preceding  day.  He  was 
tapping  his  riding  boot  with  his  whip 
and  whistling  softly  to  himself.  The 
world  had  gone  well  with  him.  Brought 
up  in  poverty  and  obscurity,  Harvey 
White  had  suddenly  become  one  of  the 
richest  men  in  his  state  by  his  father's 
unexpected  discovery  of  coal  in  land  he 
owned  in  Tennessee. 

Harvey  White  endeavored  to  make 
up  for  lost  years  and  to  acquire  the 
137 


138          Juleps  and  Clover 

rudiments  of  an  education.  He  had 
partially  succeeded  in  so  doing  when 
his  father  died,  leaving  to  his  two  sons, 
Harvey  and  Richard,  his  great  wealth. 
Harvey  thereupon  became  ambitious  to 
figure  in  society,  and  to  be  classed 
among  the  aristocracy  of  the  South. 
He  had  not  as  yet  found  much  encour- 
agement, but  he  had  no  end  of  energy 
and  push,  and  as  his  sensibilities  were 
not  delicate,  most  of  the  rebuffs  he  had 
met,  served  only  to  strengthen  his  re- 
solve to  force  an  entrance  on  his  own 
terms. 

He  was  figuring  to  himself  a  future 
bright  with  social  and  political  triumphs 
as  he  sat  by  the  pool ;  and  so  absorbed 
was  he  in  his  day  dreams  that  he  did 
not  notice  footfalls,  and  only  when  his 
eyes,  fixed  abstractedly  on  the  mirror 
of  the  water,  saw  a  stern,  pale  face  re- 
flected in  it,  that  he  became  conscious 
of  the  presence  of  another.  He  looked 
up  quickly  and  saw  Wallace  Ayer  re- 


Juleps  and  Clover          139 

garding  him  fixedly  across  the  narrow 
stream. 

"  Why,  Ayer,  how  are  you  ?  You 
gave  me  quite  a  start,"  White  called 
out,  pleasantly,  at  the  same  time  glanc- 
ing around  to  see  whether  Miss  Gwynne 
was  anywhere  in  sight.  "  Clover  will 
hear  our  voices  if  I  talk  loudly,"  he 
thought,  "  and  she  is  clever  enough  to 
keep  hidden." 

"  How  did  you  wander  up  here,  Mr. 
Ayer,"  he  added,  in  stentorian  tones. 

"  You  need  not  yell  so,"  suggested 
the  Northerner,  "  I  can  hear  quite 
plainly  without  so  much  effort  on  your 
part.  She,"  he  added,  significantly, 
*'  will  not  be  here." 

At  this  reference,  White  arose  and 
his  face  lost  its  bland  politeness  and 
began  to  cloud  darkly  as  he  caught  the 
other's  meaning. 

"  She,"  he  cried,  "  what  '  she  '  do  you 
mean,  sir? 

"  Do  I  understand  you  to  intimate, 


140          Juleps  and  Clover 

sir,  that  I  am  waiting  for  any  one  ?  If 
so,  what  are  you  doing  prowling  around 
here  ?  " 

"  You  know  perfectly  well  what  I 
mean,"  replied  Ayer  in  a  deliberate, 
measured  voice;  "I  came  'prowling 
around  '  to  find  you." 

"  Well,"  said  White,  with  a  sneer,  and 
drawing  his  body  to  its  full  height, 
"  now  you  have  found  me,  what  do  you 
propose  to  do  with  me  ?  " 

"  Shoot  you,"  replied  Ayer,  quietly 
folding  his  arms  across  his  chest. 

"Oh,  ho!  that's  your  game,  is  it? 
Very  well,  if  there  is  any  shooting  to 
be  done,  I  think  I'll  take  a  hand  in  it," 
and  watching  carefully  for  a  sudden 
movement  on  Ayer's  part,  he  instan- 
taneously drew  a  revolver  from  his  own 
pocket  and  leveled  it  at  his  antagonist's 
forehead. 

Ayer  did  not  move  a  muscle,  but 
fixed  his  eyes,  glittering  with  hate,  on 
White  and  stood  motionless.  The 


Juleps  and  Clover          141 

afternoon  sun  glinted  lacy  shadows 
down  through  the  breeze-ruffled  leaves 
on  the  smooth  surface  of  the  pool. 

The  bushy-tailed  squirrel  perked  his 
inquisitive  little  brown  nose  up  over  a 
mossy  tree  root.  Seeing  the  two  mo- 
tionless human  figures,  he  drew  back 
an  instant,  chattering  the  while  to  an 
unseen  companion  from  whom  he  evi- 
dently gained  courage,  for,  making  a  fly- 
ing leap  over  the  tree  root,  he  startled 
a  water-rat,  who  plunged  head  foremost 
into  the  pool,  splashing  a  fine  spray  of 
water  on  White's  boots  and  trousers. 

He  shuddered  and  lowered  the  pistol. 

"  You  see  your  mistake,  do  you  not, 
my  fine  Yankee  ?  It  won't  do  for 
dudes  from  the  North  to  threaten  a 
Southern  gentleman." 

"Yes,"  replied  Ayer,  "I  did  make  a 
mistake  if  I  classed  you  for  a  moment, 
among  Southern  gentlemen.  We  make 
a  distinction,  in  the  North  at  least,  be- 
tween gentlemen  and  assassins." 


142          Juleps  and  Clover 

White  bit  his  lip  at  this  taunt,  and 
for  a  second  his  finger  tightened  on  the 
trigger. 

"  It  was  you  that  threatened  to  shoot, 
I  only  acted  in  self-defence." 

"  And  I  shall  do  as  I  said,"  said  Ayer, 
contemptuously.  "  If  I  had  chosen  to 
shoot  iu  the  manner  you  seem  to  con- 
sider proper  for  a  gentleman,  I  should 
have  done  so  before  you  knew  of  my 
presence.  You  call  yourself  a  Southern 
gentleman.  Very  well.  In  the  lot  be- 
low here  at  daybreak  to-morrow,  I 
shall  give  you  an  opportunity  to  prove 
your  assertion. 

"  You  understand  me,  I  trust,  Mr. 
White  ?  " 

"Perfectly,"  replied  White,  return- 
ing his  pistol  to  his  pocket,  "  the  time 
and  place  suit  rne.  Any  other  details 
my  friend  Mr.  Parker  will  attend  to. 
Good-day,  Mr.  Ayer." 

Ayer  bowed  formally  and  turning  his 
back  on  the  pool  strode  to  where  his 


Juleps  and  Clover          143 

horse  was  tied.  As  he  galloped  his 
horse  past  the  Peters'  house,  he  thought 
he  recognized  a  figure  at  the  window 
in  the  ivy  covered  corner  where  Miss 
Gwynne  had  her  room.  He  turned 
slightly  in  the  saddle  away  from  the 
house,  and  dug  his  spurs  so  deeply  into 
his  horse  that  the  animal  plunged  fu- 
riously down  the  road. 


CHAPTER  XL 

And  fear  not  lest  Existence  closing  your 
Account,  and  mine,  should  know  the  like  no  more ; 
The  Eternal  Saki  from  that  Bowl  has  pour'd 
Millions  of  Bubbles  like  us,  and  will  pour. 

Omar  Khayyam. 

ON  the  following  morning,  three  men 
were  driving  slowly  over  the  Long 
Bridge  in  a  buggy.  Lee  held  the  reins 
and  between  him  and  Wallace  Ayer, 
sat  Dr.  Mason,  the  surgeon,  a  friend  of 
Lee's,  carrying  on  his  knees  a  satchel  of 
instruments  and  bandages.  The  doctor 
was  puffing  a  cigar  and  enjoying  the 
sharp  morning  air,  as  though  there 
never  had  been  bloodshed  in  the  world 
before,  nor  would  be  again. 

Ayer  sat  back  in  the  narrow  seat  ab- 
sorbed in  many  thoughts,  asking  him- 
self again  and  again  the  awkward  ques- 
144 


Juleps  and  Clover          145 

Aon :  "  Was  it  right  to  throw  away  his 
own  life,  or  to  take  that  of  another  on 
a  mere  point  of  honor?  " 

But  as  he  drew  near  the  field  another 
idea  came  to  him.  He  had  never  fought 
a  duel,  although  he  had  taken  part  in 
sudden  frays,  which  were  decidedly  dif- 
ferent from  a  cold-blooded,  systematic- 
ally arranged  duel.  He  did  not  fear 
death  or  injury,  although  the  surgeon, 
with  his  ghastly  anecdotes  of  wounds 
and  operations,  was  far  from  quieting. 

Wallace  Ayer  was  conscious  of  be- 
ing afraid  of  but  one  thing  which  was, 
that  he  might  prove  weak  or  even  cow- 
ardly at  the  last  moment.  How  could 
any  man  know — he  thought  to  himself 
— until  he  had  been  tested,  whether  or 
not,  his  nerves  will  fail  him  in  the  field ; 
whether  or  not,  when  all  the  grim  prep- 
arations of  the  duel  are  done,  and  he 
stands  face  to  face  with  his  adversary, 
and  glances  along  the  shining  steel,  he 
may  weaken  and  show  the  white  feather. 


146          Juleps  and  Clover 

Few  men  and  especially  brave  men, 
have  gone  to  battle  or  to  the  duelling 
field  without  thoughts  like  these  and 
Wallace  Ayer  had  his  full  share  of 
them. 

When  the  buggy  drew  up  at  the  side 
of  the  road  a  few  yards  from  the  lot 
where  the  meeting  was  appointed,  they 
found  a  team  already  there,  showing 
that  their  adversaries  were  in  advance 
of  them. 

As  they  stepped  from  the  wagon, 
Lee  said  to  his  friend  in  an  undertone : 

"  You  must  take  off  that  collar, 
Wallace.  It  makes  too  good  a  mark." 

Ayer  drew  off  the  white  band  with- 
out a  word,  and  then  Lee  stepped  back 
and  surveyed  him  from  head  to  foot. 
He  was  dressed  in  plain  black,  and  the 
color  was  not  relieved  in  any  way  ex- 
cept by  the  face,  a  trifle  paler  than 
usual. 

"  You'll  do,"  said  Lee  ;  "  now  come." 

Dr.  Mason  had  gone  on  in  advance 


Juleps  and  Clover          147 

and  was  waiting  with  the  other  party 
for  them. 

Ayer  whispered  a  few  final  directions 
to  his  second. 

The  two  friends  entered  the  field  and 
approached  the  group  at  the  further  end. 
As  they  drew  near,  Ayer  raised  his  hat 
courteously,  which  salute  was  immedi- 
ately returned  by  White  and  Parker  ; 
the  philosophical  old  doctor  smiling 
sardonically  at  this  exhibition  between 
men  who  were  about  to  attempt  each 
other's  life. 

Ayer  after  bowing,  passed  over  the 
grass  on  toward  the  western  end  of  the 
lot  and  waited.  He  glanced  idly  at  the 
dark  streak  his  footprints  had  made 
over  the  dewy  grass-plot.  A  harmless 
green,  scaly  lizard  distracted  his  atten- 
tion, as  it  ran  along  the  fence — the  only 
living  creature  astir.  It  too  was  on 
murder  bent,  for  it  was  chasing  a 
beetle. 

The  sun  was  not  yet  over  the  trees, 


148          Juleps  and  Clover 

and  Frazier  Peters  peacefully  sleeping, 
not  half  a  mile  away,  was  quite  uncon- 
scious of  the  use  being  made  of  his 
property. 

Parker  and  Lee,  after  a  formal  greet- 
ing, drew  off  to  one  side  and  quickly 
arranged  the  preliminaries.  The  ground 
was  paced  off  from  north  to  south,  and 
marks  made  at  twenty  paces.  There 
was  a  forest  background  at  either  end, 
and  the  disadvantages  of  sunlight  was 
as  evenly  divided  as  possible  by  this 
arrangement.  The  air  was  as  yet  abso- 
lutel}7  still,  so  there  was  no  need  of  con- 
sidering that  element  in  laying  out  the 
ground.  The  seconds  matched  coins 
for  the  positions  for  their  principals. 
Ayer  drew  the  north,  and  his  antagon- 
ist, the  south. 

It  was  agreed  that  the  men  should 
fire  together  at  the  counting  of  "one," 
"two,"  "three,"  and  continue  firing  at 
will,  until  one  fell,  or  the  pistols  were 
emptied. 


Juleps  and  Clover          149 

Both  seconds  had  brought  cases  of 
pistols  and  Parker's  weapons  were 
chosen  as  the  best,  on  his  assuring  Lee 
that  these  particular  revolvers  had 
never  been  even  seen  by  White.  The 
pistols  were  loaded  carefully,  and  one 
handed  to  each  antagonist.  They  were 
then  escorted  to  their  positions,  and 
Lee  whispered  a  few  final  directions  to 
his  friend,  entreating  him  to  remain 
cool,  aim  low,  and  fire  instantly  on  the 
word. 

Lee  knew  that  White  was  a  famous 
shot,  and  had  taken  part  in  several 
affairs  of  this  sort.  He  feared  greatly 
that  his  friend  would  fall  before  he  had 
the  opportunity  to  deliver  his  fire,  for 
White  had  the  reputation  of  shooting 
exactly  on  the  word  and  so  crippling 
his  adversary,  without  receiving  the  re- 
turn fire. 

The  two  principals  took  their  posi- 
tions and  stood  for  a  moment  face  to 
face,  and  then  swung  slowly  sideways 


150          Juleps  and  Clover 

until  their  right  shoulders  were  oppo- 
site to  each  other. 

White's  dark  complexion  was  darker 
than  ever,  and  his  eyes  betrayed  excite- 
ment, but  he  drew  himself  proudly  to 
his  full  height  and  there  was  a  scornful 
expression  about  his  lips,  and  haughty 
defiance  on  his  face,  as  he  waited  for 
the  word,  not  doubting  for  one  moment 
the  result,  and  only  surprised  that  a 
Yankee  should  dare  meet  him. 

Ayer  saw  the  expression  of  scorn  and 
arrogance  on  the  Southerner's  face  and 
all  his  pride  came  surging  up. 

Just  as  proudly  and  just  as  scorn- 
fully, he  raised  his  weapon  and  listened 
to  the  words  from  Parker. 

"  Gentlemen,  are  you  ready  ?  " 

"  Ready ! " 

"Ready!" 

«  One." 

Ayer's  brown  hair  fluttered  a  trifle  in 
the  morning  air,  which  was  just  stirring 
into  life  by  the  increasing  power  of  the 


Juleps  and  Clover 

sun,  but  his  face  and  body  were  like  a 
rock.  With  a  stoical  indifference  to 
danger  he  thought  only  of  his  aim,  and 
his  hand  was  never  steadier. 

"Two." 

Lee  saw  a  shadow  pass  over  his 
friend's  face,  and  his  aim  for  a  second 
wavered,  but,  instantly,  it  was  gone, 
and  Ayer's  eyes  gleamed  with  unnat- 
ural brilliancy,  and  the  steel  was  once 
more  firm. 

"  Three  !     Fire  ! " 

The  two  reports  were  so  nearly 
simultaneous,  that  no  one  ever  knew 
which  fired  first. 

Ayer  wheeled  half  round,  wavered 
and  went  down  with  a  thud. 

His  second  watching  him  intently, 
could  not  restrain  a  cry,  as  he  sprang 
toward  him.  The  Northerner  lay  on 
his  face  and  his  hand  tightly  clutched 
the  smoking  pistol.  Lee  rolled  him 
over,  and  to  his  intense  relief,  Ayer 
opened  his  eyes  and  murmured  : 


152          Juleps  and  Clover 

"  It's  nothing — nothing,  onl y  a  scratch 
— I  have  time  for  another  shot,"  and 
with  great  effort,  he  sat  up,  supporting 
himself  on  his  left  arm,  and  gazing 
vaguely  around. 

Lee,  the  moment  he  found  his  friend 
was  not  dead,  rushed  for  Dr.  Mason. 
As  he  reached  the  group  opposite  him, 
he  noticed  for  the  first  time  that  White 
was  down  also,  and  heard  the  surgeon 
say: 

"  It's  no  use.  Poor  fellow,  he's  done 
for.  He  cannot  live  ten  minutes." 

" Is  White  killed,  doctor? "  cried  Lee. 

"Yes,"  said  Parker,  looking  up. 
"  Your  damned  Yankee  has  killed  the 
best  shot  in  the  South.  He  shall  an- 
swer to  me  for  this  morning's  work." 

Without  replying  to  Parker,  Lee 
turned  to  the  doctor  and  said : 

"  If  White  is  dying,  come  to  my  man. 
You  may  save  him  yet  if  you  are  quick. 
For  God's  sake,  come ; "  he  added,  as 
Dr.  Mason  hesitated. 


Juleps  and  Clover          153 

When  the  shots  were  fired,  Ayer  had 
fallen,  as  though  struck  down  by  an  in- 
visible hand,  but  White  had  received 
his  antagonist's  fire  without  flinching, 
and  was  making  a  movement  to  re-cock 
his  revolver,  when  he  suddenly  pitched 
forward,  caught  himself,  pitched  again, 
and  then  with  a  groan,  sank  gently  to 
the  ground,  with  a  bullet  through  the 
lower  part  of  his  lungs.  Blood  gushed 
from  his  mouth,  and  the  surgeon  saw  at 
a  glance  that  his  wound  was  fatal. 

The  dying  man  lay  on  his  back,  with 
his  head  and  shoulders  supported  by 
Parker,  when  he  heard  Lee's  voice.  He 
opened  his  eyes,  and  speaking  with  an 
effort,  whispered : 

"Parker  —  Parker — no  more  blood 
shed  on  my  account.  Did  I  hear  that 
the  Yankee  is  hit  ?  Bring  him  here.  I 
want  to — tell  him  something."  And 
his  eyes  closed  again  and  his  head  sank 
lower. 

Dr.  Mason  turned  sadly  away,  and 


154          Juleps  and  Clover 

hastened  to  where  Ayer  had  fallen.  A 
short  examination  showed  the  surgeon 
that  Ayer  had  been  struck  in  the 
shoulder,  and  although  his  wound  was 
severe,  there  was  no  immediate  danger. 
Taking  the  wounded  man  in  their  arms, 
Lee  and  the  doctor  carried  him  care- 
fully, to  where  the  dying  man  lay. 

When  Ayer  saw  the  pale  face  of  his 
late  enemy,  flecked  with  flashes  of  red 
blood  and  heard  his  labored  breathing, 
he  forgot  his  own  agony  in  the  thought 
that  he  was  responsible  for  this  man's 
death.  He  spoke  to  him  gently  and  re- 
gretfully. White  opened  his  eyes  and 
saw  Ayer  at  his  elbow. 

He  smiled  feebly  and  then  with  all 
the  bravery  of  his  brave  race,  he  sum- 
moned his  last  remnant  of  strength,  and 
put  his  hand  on  Ayer's  shattered  arm. 
The  Northerner  conquered  the  pain  the 
other's  touch  caused  him,  and  taking 
the  offered  hand  with  his  own  left 
hand,  he  gently  pressed  it. 


Juleps  and  Clover          155 

"  Ayer,"  he  murmured,  "  I  am  dying ; 
but  before  I  go,  I  forgive  you.  You 
others,  Parker,  doctor,  Lee,  are  wit- 
nesses that  I  forgive  him  " — 

Parker  raised  his  head  as  his  throat 
seemed  to  choke  up.  He  continued : 

"Ayer,  my  brother  Dick  will  never 
forgive  you.  He  will  trail  you  down  as 
a  bloodhound.  You  must  all  tell  him 
—forgive — but — it  will  do  no  good. 

"  Ayer,  you're  a  brave  man.  I  was  a 
fool  to  think  you  a  coward — and — now, 
I  pay  for  it." 

He  paused  for  a  moment,  and  Parker, 
now  in  tears,  gently  wiped  the  mouth  of 
the  dying  man  with  his  handkerchief. 
The  doctor  made  an  effort  to  stop  his 
speaking,  but  White,  with  a  weak 
gesture  of  impatience,  waived  him  aside 
and  resumed : 

"  I  am  not  afraid  to  die — have  always 
tried  to  be  a  Christian  and  a  gentleman, 
and  when  one  dies  that  way,  there  is 
nothing  to  fear — come  closer.  I  can- 


156          Juleps  and  Clover 

not  see  you — closer — so — .  Now  listen, 
you  are  mistaken  about  Clover,  sweet 
Clover." 

He  lingered  on  the  name  as  though 
he  loved  it.  Then  with  a  stronger 
voice  than  with  which  he  had  previ- 
ously spoken,  he  said,  half  raising  on 
one  elbow : 

"  Ayer,  I  give  you  a  gentleman's  dy- 
ing word — a  gentle " 

Before  he  could  finish  the  word,  a 
rush  of  blood  came  and  a  second  later, 
White  had  passed  beyond  human  venge- 
ance, or  petty  justice.  A  braver, 
better,  nobler  man  in  his  death,  than 
ever  he  had  been  in  life.  Showing  at 
the  last,  the  game  qualities  which  have 
made  the  Anglo-Saxon  masters  of  the 
modern  world. 

The  group  around  White  stood  mo- 
tionless for  a  moment.  Even  the  stern 
old  surgeon  being  visibly  affected. 
Parker  rose  reverentially,  and  laying  the 
dead  man's  head  on  the  grass,  gently  as 


Juleps  and  Clover          157 

a  woman,  he  spread  his  own  long  coat 
over  the  body  of  his  friend.  He  then 
took  off  his  cap,  and  speaking  in  a  voice 
choked  with  emotion : 

"  My  friends  we  have  seen  how  a 
Christian  gentleman  and  a  Southerner 
can  die,  thinking  not  of  himself,  but  of 
others.  Let  us  hope  we  may  meet  our 
fate  as  bravely."  And  bowing  his  head, 
he  stood  a  moment  in  silent  prayer,  an 
example  which  the  others  willingly  fol- 
lowed. 

Dr.  Mason  was  the  first  to  speak. 
The  old  fellow  cuffed  his  cheek  sharply 
with  the  back  of  his  hand,  and  said: 

"  Come,  come  now,  we  must  attend 
to  your  wound,  Mr.  Ayer.  Just  hold 
him  up,  Lee,  until  I  can  snip  up  this 
sleeve,"  and  taking  a  pair  of  scissors 
from  his  vest  pocket  he  slashed  the 
sleeve  to  the  collar,  laying  exposed  the 
wound  and  Ayer's  right  side. 

"  Phew !  "  said  the  surgeon,  examin- 
ing the  wound : 


158          Juleps  and  Clover 

"  The  first  thing  to  do  is  to  go  after 
that  ball.  I  don't  think  the  bone  is 
broken.  What's  this  ?" 

He  raised  Ayer's  arm  and  found  a 
large  blood  clot  over  the  tendons  in 
front  of  the  arm  pit.  "  That  simplifies 
matters.  The  ball  has  passed  through 
your  arm,  under  the  bone,  and  lodged 
in  the  breast  muscles.  Have  you  raised 
any  blood  ?  " 

"  No !  "    Ayer  shook  his  head. 

"  Then  the  bullet  is  not  in  your 
lungs." 

With  that  the  doctor  tore  open 
Ayer's  shirt,  still  wider  and  commenced 
to  feel  carefully  over  the  breast  muscles 
for  the  missing  bullet.  A}'er  was 
strongly  muscled,  and  his  flesh  so  firm 
that  the  doctor  was  unable  to  locate  the 
b^l.  After  trying  in  vain  for  some 
moments,  he  stopped  and  searched  for 
something  in  his  satchel. 

"  My  damn  fool  of  an  assistant  has 
forgotten  to  put  any  anaesthetics  in  my 


Juleps  and  Clover          159 

case,  and  you  must  be  operated  on  at 
once,  Ayer.  That  bullet  must  be  found. 
If  you  were  to  be  in  good  quarters,  and 
to  have  proper  medical  attendance,  it 
might  not  matter  so  much —  Many  a 
man  down  here,  has  lead  in  him." 

"  I  can  do  without  anaesthetics,"  re- 
plied Ayer.  "  Go  ahead,  doctor,  and 
probe  for  the  ball." 

Dr.  Mason  glanced  at  him  with  ad- 
miration. And,  then  selecting  some 
long  instruments  from  his  case,  he  mo- 
tioned to  Lee  and  Parker  to  hold  Ayer 
up  properly.  In  five  minutes,  the  bullet 
was  located  and  cut  out  of  the  muscles 
toward  the  centre  of  the  right  breast, 
where  it  had  lodged. 

The  ball  had  glanced  along  one  of 
the  ribs,  without  injuring  any  part  of 
the  lungs.  The  operation  caused  Ayer 
great  suffering,  but  he  seemed  superior 
to  pain,  for  his  face  bore  almost  a  smile, 
and  he  did  not  stir  until  the  doctor  had 
finished. 


160         Juleps  and  Clover 

Dr.  Mason  dropped  his  instruments 
back  into  the  bag  with  a  clatter,  and 
said : 

"  Mr.  Ayer,  you  are  a  Stoic.  I  saw 
much  fortitude  during  the  war,  and  had 
begun  to  think  this  generation  inferior 
to  mine,  but  you  have  shown  true 
American  nerve — and  that  poor  fellow 
did  too,"  he  added,  nodding  toward  the 
silent  figure  lying  on  the  grass. 

A  blanket  was  brought  from  the 
wagon  and  placed  under  Ayer.  He 
was  given,  for  the  first  time,  a  drink  of 
brandy,  and  carried  gently  to  the  brook 
just  below  where  it  left  the  eventful 
trout  pool.  The  blood  stains  were 
washed  away,  and  his  wound  dressed 
by  the  side  of  the  limpid,  running 
stream.  When  the  last  bandage  was 
in  place,  the  doctor  gave  some  hurried 
directions  to  Lee,  in  reference  to  the 
care  of  his  friend,  secretly  advising  him 
to  put  Ayer  in  some  secluded  spot  until 


Juleps  and  Clover          161 

his  wound  was  healed  and  they  could 
escape  North. 

The  three  men  carried  Ayer  to  the 
buggy.  After  shaking  hands,  Parker 
drew  Lee  aside  and  promised  to  con- 
ceal the  events  of  the  morning  until 
the  last  possible  moment,  in  order  to 
give  Lee  an  opportunity  to  get  his 
friend  out  of  the  way  of  the  law,  and 
the  swift  and  certain  revenge  of  the 
dead  man's  brother,  Richard  White. 

*'  Of  course,"  added  Parker,  "  after 
the  coroner's  inquest  is  over  and  when 
the  pursuit  is  once  started,  I  shall  have 
to  do  my  part,  but  you  have  my  best 
wishes,  at  all  events.  I  warn  you  that 
Richard  White  is  persistent  and  very 
energetic.  He  will  devote  himself  to 
revenging  his  brother's  death.  So,  be 
on  your  guard." 

The  doctor  and  Parker  saluted  the 
occupants  of  the  buggy,  as  it  drove 
rapidly  off  in  the  direction  of  the  town, 
and  then  turned  to  their  mournful  task. 


162          Juleps  and  Clover 

What  was  mortal  of  Harvey  White 
was  wrapped  in  a  blanket  and  laid  in 
the  bed  of  the  wagon. 

They  drove  slowly  down  to  Peters' 
place,  and  before  going  up  to  the  house, 
deposited  their  burden  on  the  floor 
in  the  summerhouse,  where  Clover 
Gwynne  and  Wallace  Ayer  had  their 
last  interview. 

Sweet,  yellow-throated  honeysuckle 
twined  about  the  open  doorway  and 
arching  casements,  weighing  the  fresh 
morning  air  with  all  its  dainty  fra- 
grance. The  first  long  shafts  of  the 
rising  sun  poured  through  the  lattice 
walls,  making  diamond  shadow  patterns 
dance  across  the  floor,  and  run  fantastic 
riot  over  the  blanket-wrapped,  inani- 
mate Thing,  lying  there,  at  once, 
equally  majestic  and  helpless. 

Brilliant  hued  humming-birds  darted 
hither  and  you,  like  living  jewels  on 
the  soft  morning  breeze,  while  the  busy 
bees  from  the  near  by  row  of  hives, 


Juleps  and  Clover          163 

buzzed  a  droning  accompaniment  to  the 
bird's  fluttering  wings.  A  meadow- 
lark  alighted  on  the  apex  of  the  sum- 
merhouse  roof — pausing  a  moment  in 
his  flight — he  held  upward  his  slender 
throat  and  trilled  out  a  triumphant 
burst  of  silvery  melody.  A  requiem 
for  the  passing  soul  on  its  journey  to 
the  Elysium  fields  of  the  Blessed  Dead. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

And  that  inverted  Bowl  they  call  the  Sky 
Where  under  crawling  coop'd  we  live  and  die, 
Lift  not  your  hands  to  It  for  help — for  It 
As  impotently  moves  as  you  or  I. 

—  Omar  Khayyam. 

LATE  that  night,  Ayer  and  Lee 
struck  Buck  Mountain,  nearly  twenty 
miles  beyond  Wainhill.  They  had 
driven  until  the  afternoon,  and  had  left 
the  horse  and  buggy  at  an  outlying 
farmhouse,  the  owner  of  which,  Ben 
Smith,  Lee  knew  could  be  relied  upon. 

Old  Ben  lived  alone.  Lee  had 
thought  of  him  the  day  before  the  duel, 
and  in  the  hurry  of  preparation,  had 
had  the  foresight  to  despatch  a  darkey 
with  two  horses,  to  the  old  man's 
for  safe-keeping.  The  animals  had 
reached  there  the  night  before  and 

164 


Juleps  and  Clover          165 

were  in  first-class  condition.  On  the 
arrival  of  the  wounded  man  and  his 
friend,  old  Ben  made  no  remarks,  but 
prepared  a  lunch  of  corn-pone  and 
bacon,  which  with  a  little  brandy  to 
wash  it  down,  served  to  sustain  Ayer 
for  renewed  effort. 

The  horses  were  then  saddled  by 
Lee  himself,  and  led  out.  Ayer,  in 
spite  of  his  protests  that  he  did  not 
feel  weak,  was  strapped  securely  to  the 
saddle,  and  Lee,  after  paying  Ben 
Smith  out  of  the  stock  of  money  he  had 
with  him,  took  the  bridle  of  his  friend's 
horse,  and  started  down  the  road  toward 
Avon. 

When  well  out  of  sight  of  the  house, 
Lee  turned  sharply  into  the  open  pine 
wood,  and  rode  some  distance  by  com- 
pass, until  he  came  to  an  abandoned 
lumber  road.  -  This  he  followed,  slowly 
working  up  the  mountain  valley,  until 
at  dusk  they  emerged  into  a  clearing. 

Smoke  could  be  seen  in  the  distance, 


i66         Juleps  and  Clover 

and  the  two  men  rode  slowly  toward  it 
— Lee  stopping  now  and  then  to  shout: 

«  Baxter— Hullo  !— Will  Baxter  !  " 

As  they  were  passing  some  large 
rocks  on  the  left  of  the  road,  a  strange 
figure  slouched  out  from  the  shadow, 
with  an  abrupt  command  to  halt. 

"  Who  may  you  uns  be  ? "  the 
stranger  demanded,  "an'  what  may 
you  uns  want  with  Will  Baxter?" 

"  Will,  you  remember  me  ?  "  replied 
Lee,  "  I  am  Howard  Lee,  who  defended 
you  in  Richmond,  two  years  ago,  when 
the  authorities  had  you  up  for  making 
moonshine  whiskey  in  Cumberland 
Gap." 

The  old  mountaineer  brought  down 
the  butt  of  his  long  rifle  with  a  thud, 
and  stepping  up  to  Lee,  scrutinized  him 
closely.  When  Baxter  had  fully  satis- 
fied himself  that  it  was  indeed  the 
lawyer  who  had  befriended  him,  he 
stretched  out  a  gaunt  hand  and  seized 
Lee's  with  a  hearty  grasp  of  welcome. 


Juleps  and  Clover          167 

"I'm  mighty  glad  to  see  yer,  Mr. 
Lee,  you  all  dun  me  a  power  o*  good 
wonst,  an*  yer  kin  jist  count  on  Will 
Baxter  fer  not  fergittin'  it,  nuther." 

And  then  with  a  chuckle,  as  though 
it  was  the  best  joke  in  the  world,  he 
added : 

"  Blamed  ef  I  didn't  come  near  plug- 
gin'  you  uns.  I  reckoned  you  uns  wus 
them  revenue  fellers.  I  drawed  a  dead 
bead  on  that  white  rag,  crossiu'  yer 
friend's  breast,  when  you  hollered  out 
my  name,  jist  in  time  to  save  him. 

"  What's  the  matter  with  yer  friend  ? 
—hurt?" 

"  Baxter,  I  may  as  well  tell  you  the 
whole  story,"  replied  Lee,  "this  is  a 
friend  of  mine,  Mr.  Ayer,  who  had  a 
difference  of  opinion  with  a  gentleman 
down  in  the  settlement,  in  consequence 
of  which  he  has  a  broken  shoulder. 

"  The  sheriff  is  on  our  trail  by  this 
time.  I  knew  of  no  safe  place  to  take 
refuge,  until  I  remembered  that  you  had 


i68          Juleps  and  Clover 

a  house  up  here,  and  then  I  said  to  my- 
self: '  Will  Baxter  is  the  man  who  has 
courage  to  hide  a  man  who  was  wounded 
in  a  square  fight,  and  he  will  do  it  too.' " 

"  So  I  will,  so  I  will,"  said  the  moun- 
taineer. u  I  reckon  the  sheriff  and  his 
possy  won't  get  you  uns  up  here ;  not 
while  Will  Baxter  kin  pull  a  trigger. 
But,  Mr.  Lee,  how  about  the  other  fel- 
ler ;— he  get  shot  ?  " 

"  Shot  dead,"  answered  Lee. 

The  old  moonshiner  grinned  at  this 
welcome  piece  of  news,  and  walked 
solemnly  over  to  Ayer,  and  shook  his 
free  hand  in  token  of  the  admiration, 
with  which  he  now  held  his  prowess. 
Then  swinging  his  rifle  over  his  shoul- 
der, he  led  the  way  to  the  tumbled-down 
shanty,  he  called  home. 

As  they  passed  up  the  narrow  road, 
they  were  silently  joined  by  three  gaunt 
boys,  whose  ages  ranged  from  thirteen 
to  eighteen,  and  who  "  toted "  rifles 
rather  longer  than  themselves. 


Juleps  and  Clover          169 

They  fell  in  behind  the  men,  Indian 
file,  without  exchanging  looks  or  com- 
ment. At  the  first  warning  of  the  ap- 
proach of  the  strangers,  they  had  posted 
themselves  along  the  road  at  intervals, 
behind  trees  and  rocks, — one  of  the 
many  adjuncts  and  precautions  of  the 
illicit  manufacturer  of  moonshine  whis- 
key, which  the  vigilance  of  the  govern- 
ment authorities  makes  necessary 
among  humble  lovers  of  corn  juice. 

Ayer  was  so  faint  from  his  long  ride 
that  he  had  to  be  lifted  from  his  horse — 
in  fact,  only  the  precaution  Lee  had 
taken  in  tying  him  to  his  saddle,  had 
kept  him  from  several  ugly  falls  during 
the  day's  ride. 

A  stiff  drink  of  Baxter's  moonshine 
revived  him,  and  he  was  able  to  swal- 
low a  little  "  hog  and  hominy,"  which 
formed  the  staple  of  the  backwoods- 
man's fare. 

After  this  wretched  supper,  Lee  had 
a  long  interview  with  Baxter  and  it 


170          Juleps  and  Clover 

was  decided  to  send  one  of  the  boys  to 
the  nearest  settlement  on  an  old  mule 
of  Baxter's,  to  purchase  some  provis- 
ions fit  for  the  wounded  man  to  eat. 
Lee  knew  this  might  lead  to  a  visit 
from  the  authorities,  but  he  realized 
that  Ayer  must  have  good  food,  if  he 
was  to  recover  his  strength. 

The  boy  was  given  some  money,  and 
started  on  his  errand. 

Ayer,  who  had  borne  up  bravely 
during  the  day,  had  now  collapsed  and 
had  to  be  carried  to  a  place  of  conceal- 
ment, where,  Baxter  assured  Lee,  they 
could  lie  hidden  in  perfect  safety. 

This  refuge  proved  to  be  Baxter's 
whiskey-still,  deep  buried  in  the  forest, 
a  mile  back  of  the  house.  It  was  half 
cavern  and  half  shanty,  but  would 
serve  to  keep  out  the  weather.  Here 
the  mountaineer  carried  up  most  of  his 
blankets,  and  Ayer  was  soon  stretched 
on  a  comfortable  bed. 

After  a  renewed  application  of  "  moon- 


Juleps  and  Clover          171 

shine,"  he  fell  into  a  heavy  sleep,  while 
Lee  and  Baxter  sat  on  the  log  threshold 
and  kept  watch  over  him  during  the 
night. 

Lee  feared  that  the  excessive  fatigue 
and  excitement  of  the  day  would  bring 
on  brain-fever,  but  fortunately  no  such 
symptoms  appeared,  and  the  next  morn- 
ing found  him  weak,  but  with  less  pain. 

The  boy  arrived  during  the  afternoon 
with  some  provisions,  which  Lee  had 
prepared  at  once  for  his  friend. 

Young  Baxter  reported  that  in  Wain- 
hill,  where  he  had  been  obliged  to  go, 
the  town  was  in  great  excitement,  and 
parties  were  being  formed  to  hunt  for 
them  in  every  direction.  This  occa- 
sioned Lee  and  the  mountaineer  but 
little  anxiety,  as  they  felt  quite  safe  in 
the  loyalty  of  old  Ben  Smith,  and  even 
if  he  betrayed  what  he  knew,  the  pur- 
suers would  only  have  a  slight  clue  to 
work  on. 

So  it  proved,  as  the  days  went  by — 


172          Juleps  and  Clover 

Ezra  Baxter  at  length  reporting  on  his 
return  from  one  of  his  expeditions  that 
the  search  had  been  practically  aban- 
doned, although  the  fugitives  had  been 
traced  to  Ben  Smith's,  but  without  get- 
ting any  satisfaction  or  information 
from  the  old  man. 

Ayer  improved  rapidly  under  the 
nursing  of  his  friend,  and  in  two  or 
three  weeks  was  able  to  \valk  around 
without  feeling  exhausted.  He  was  al- 
most well  enough  to  travel,  when  one 
morning,  Ezra  Baxter  returned  from 
Wainhill  with  an  ominous-looking  docu- 
ment and  a  note. 

Young  Baxter  said  that  while  in  town 
on  the  previous  day,  his  attention  had 
been  directed  to  a  notice  on  the  fence 
surrounding  the  court  house,  and  about 
which  there  was  gathered  a  great  crowd. 
As  he  could  not  read,  he  learned  with 
some  difficulty  from  others,  that  the  no- 
tice referred  to  a  reward  offered  for  a 
Yankee,  dead  or  alive. 


Juleps  and  Clover          173 

He  waited  until  night,  and  then 
sneaked  up  to  the  fence  on  all  fours, 
where  the  notice  was  posted;  he  cut 
out  the  poster  bodily  with  his  jack- 
knife,  leaving  only  a  hole  in  the  fence 
where  the  notice  had  been,  to  tell  the 
story. 

It  seemed,  according  to  Ezra's  story, 
that  while  waiting  for  the  cover  of 
darkness  to  perform  this  exploit,  he  for- 
tified himself  with  "corn  juice,"  in 
quantities  sufficient  to  loosen  his  tongue 
without  impairing  his  energy. 

While  in  this  condition,  early  in  the 
afternoon,  he  had  entered  a  store  to  buy 
some  lint,  as  directed  by  Lee.  The 
clerk  would  not  give  him  the  proper 
kind  until  he  explained  that  it  was  u  for  a 
wound — a  gunshot  wound."  The  man 
thereupon  gave  him  what  he  wanted, 
without  exhibiting  any  suspicion,  but  a 
tall,  dark  young  lady,  who  was  buying 
something  at  the  same  counter,  seemed 
suddenly  greatly  interested  in  Ezra,  and 


174         Juleps  and  Clover 

after  he  made  his  purchase,  followed 
him  to  the  door. 

The  young  mountaineer,  though  an 
awkward,  overgrown  lout,  was  not 
without  his  ideas  of  gallantry,  and 
was  greatly  flattered  when  the  young 
lady,  with  a  dazzling  smile,  requested 
him  to  help  her  mount  her  horse.  He 
willingly  did  so,  in  a  most  bungling 
manner. 

"Thanks;  so  you  have  a  wounded 
man  at  your  house,  have  you  ?  "  said  the 
young  lady,  as  she  gathered  the  reins  of 
the  horse  and  seemed  to  want  to  detain 
him. 

Ezra  blundered  out  a  rambling  reply, 
about  "  '  Papp  '  being  shot  in  the  hand 
by  accident." 

"  Too  bad,  I'm  sure,"  replied  the 
young  lady,  "it  is  very  considerate  of 
your  family  to  buy  lint,  and  you  must 
be  rich,  too,  with  so  much  money  to 
spend,"  she  added,  nodding  toward 
Ezra's  hand  which  still  held  the  change 


Juleps  and  Clover          175 

of  a  ten  dollar  bill  he  had  given  the 
shopkeeper. 

Ezra,  half  drunk  as  he  was,  realized 
that  he  had  probably  betrayed  his 
father's  guests,  and  pulling  himself  to- 
gether, he  proceeded  to  tell  a  most  in- 
tricate and  mendacious  tale.  Finally 
he  stopped,  after  hopelessly  snarling  up 
his  story,  and  mopped,  with  his  soiled 
shirt-sleeve,  the  beads  of  perspiration 
which  had  gathered  on  his  forehead 
through  the  unaccustomed  mental  effort 
involved  by  overtaxing  his  imagination. 

The  girl  had  listened  to  his  story  with 
a  smile,  and  when  he  paused,  she  asked 
him  his  name.  Now  Ezra  was  on  firmer 
ground,  and  he  promptly  replied  with  a 
great  show  of  truthfulness  and  veracity: 

"  John  Barton." 

The  young  lady  eyed  him  sharply, 
and  then  said : 

"  All  right,  Mr.  Barton,  I  wish  to  send 
a  note  to  your  poor  old  '  Papp.'  Just 
wait  a  minute." 


176          Juleps  and  Clover 

She  hastily  drew  a  letter  from  her 
pocket  and  taking  the  envelope,  she 
tore  it  open  and  wrote  on  the  inside, 
using  the  pommel  as  a  desk,  while  the 
astonished  mountaineer  stood  with 
staring  eyes  and  wide  open  mouth.  She 
then  folded  the  note  without  addressing 
it,  and  gave  it  to  Ezra,  saying: 

"  Please  give  this  to  your  wounded 
'  Papp,'  and  he  will  understand  it  if  he 
is  the  man  I  think.  Be  careful,  Mr. 
Barton,  and  be  a  little  more  prudent 
with  your  tongue,  or  you  will  get  your 
4  Papp '  and  yourself  into  hot  water." 

With  this  warning,  the  girl  cantered 
off,  leaving  poor  Ezra  in  a  dazed  state, 
not  knowing  which  way  to  turn.  He 
finally  wandered  to  the  fence  where  his 
mule  was  tied,  and  sat  there  until  it  was 
dark  enough  to  secure  the  poster,  with- 
out detection. 

After  he  had  cut  out  the  notice,  he 
rode  back  as  rapidly  as  his  slow-paced 
mule  and  the  darkness  would  permit, 


Juleps  and  Clover          177 

.md  the  next  morning,  with  a  scared 
face,  presented  the  board  with  the  note, 
to  Ayer. 

The  Northerner  opened  the  crumpled 
missive  in  nervous  haste,  and  recognized 
a  familiar  hand.  He  called  Lee,  and 
read  the  note,  or  rather  a  portion  of  it, 
to  him.  The  note  ran  as  follows : 

"  DEAR  WALLACE  : 

"  Your  messenger  has  stu- 
pidly exposed  you  to  discovery  and 
given  me  this  chance  to  warn  you. 

"  The  sheriff  has  had  deputies  watch- 
ing all  the  roads,  but  he  has  now  given 
up  pursuit. 

"  Richard  White,  however,  is  now  in 
town,  and  knows  that  you  are  hidden  in 
the  mountains.  He  has  quietly  armed 
men  to  watch  for  you  at  all  railway  sta- 
tions and  has  given  orders  that  the  coun- 
try shall  be  scoured  in  out-of-the-way 
places. 

"  Be  ready  to  defend  yourselves,  for 
he  means  to  shoot  on  sight.  I  hope  and 
pray  you  will  escape. 

"  Oh  Wallace !     You  don't  know  how 


178         Juleps  and  Clover 

I  have  suffered  since  that  horrible  day. 
You  don't  understand,  and  you  think 
terrible  things  of  me. 

"  Let  me  come  to  you  now,  that  you 
are  in  trouble,  and  I  will  show  you  that 
I  am  not  so  wicked  as  you  think.  For 
heaven's  sake,  send  me  a  line  if  you 
won't  let  me  see  you. 

"  Your  heartbroken 

"  CLOVER." 

When  Ayer  finished  reading,  Lee 
snatched  up  the  board  which  Ezra  had 
hacked  out  of  the  fence,  and  read : 

REWARD !  I  ! 

$2,000. 

The  above  reward  will  be  paid  upon 

the  delivery  of  the  person, 

dead  or  alive,  of 

WALLACE  AYER; 

To  the  Sheriff  of  Mack  worth  County: 
At  the  County  Court  House : 

In  the  Town  of  Wainhill. 
(Signed)     JAMES  E.  CAMPBELL, 

Governor. 


Juleps  and  Clover          179 

NOTICE ! 

In  addition  to  the  above  reward, 
the  sum  of  $5,000  has  been  placed  in 
my  hands  and  will  be  paid  upon  the 
apprehension  and  delivery  to  me,  of 
the  body  of  the  above-named — Wal- 
lace Ayer. 

(Signed)        ROBERT  COOK, 
Sheriff  of  Mackworth  County, 

North  Carolina. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

And  not  a  drop  that  from  our  Cups  we  throw 
For  earth  to  drink  of,  but  may  steal  below 
To  quench  the  fire  of  Anguish  in  some  Eye 
There  hidden — far  beneath,  and  long  ago. 

Omar  Khayyam. 

WHILE  Ayer  and  Lee  were  studying 
the  Governor's  Reward  Will  Baxter 
strode  up  with  a  troubled  look  on  his 
face  and  his  rifle  uneasily  balanced  in 
his  hand. 

"  Lem's  got  a  feller  down  thar  below 
the  house  that  wants  to  speak  to  you 
uns,  Mr.  Lee,"  the  mountaineer  re- 
marked. "He's  tony,  and  don't  lo<;k 
like  he  wus  much  dangersome  ;  Lem's 
got  him  hilt  up,  an'  I  jist  come  up  here 
to  tell  you  uns." 

"  It  must  be  some  one  has  followed 
Ezra,  Howard,"  said  Ayer,  "you  would 
180 


Juleps  and  Clover          181 

better  go  and  see  who  it  is.  It  may  be 
some  message  in  connection  with  this 
note.  I'll  wait  here." 

Lee  went  with  Baxter  and  in  a  quar- 
ter of  an  hour  he  returned  accompanied 
by  a  man  who  proved  on  near  approach 
to  be  Frazier  Peters,  but  not  the  placid, 
dignified  gentleman  that  Ayer  had 
known. 

Peters  was  thinner  by  many  pounds, 
and  his  clothes  looked  as  though  he 
had  slept  in -them  a  week.  His  face, 
which  he  mopped  freely,  as  he  picked 
his  way  up  the  steep  path,  looked  hag- 
gard, and  showed  traces  of  prolonged 
fatigue.  He  brightened  up  a  bit  when 
he  saw  Ayer,  and  shook  hands  cor- 
dially. 

"  Hullo,  Ayer,  my  boy,"  he  cried, 
with  a  trace  of  his  former  manner.  "I 
never  expected  to  see  you  alive  again. 
A  little  pale  and  thin,  but  not  worse 
than  I  am.  I've  lost  twenty  pounds 
this  month,  and  I  reckon  I  must  have 


182          Juleps  and  Clover 

lost  two  more  standing  in  the  sun 
down  there,  with  that  fiendish  young 
barbarian  pointing  his  gun  at  my  head. 
He  made  me  hold  up  my  hands  too — 
Oh,  Lord !  I  thought  I  should  drop 
dead  in  my  tracks." 

And  Peters  mopped  his  feverish  brow. 

"  I'm  going  to  write  to  the  governor 
to-morrow  to  send  troops  up  here  and 
clear  all  these  moonshiners  out.  The 
idea  of  allowing  a  child  of  that  age  to 
lug  around  a  gun  bigger  than  himself 
and  to  point  it  at  any  stranger  who 
comes  along — it's  preposterous  !  Then 
his  dad  walks  up  and  says : 

"'It's  just  a  mistake  and  no  offence 
meant.'  Why  it's  an  outrage,  but  then 
the  entire  state  is  run  infamously,  from 
the  sheriff  up.  I'm  going  back  to  Vir- 
ginia— I'm  ashamed  of  my  native  state 
— ashamed,  sir.  Got  anything  good  to 
drink  up  here  ?  "  And  Frazier  Peters 
sank  down  on  a  log  to  catch  his  breath, 
and  fanned  himself  with  his  slouch  hat. 


Juleps  and  Clover          183 

Ayer  brought  from  the  hut  a  half 
empty  bottle  of  whiskey  made  by  Bax- 
ter, and  poured  some  out  for  Peters. 
This  and  a  few  minutes'  rest  restored 
Peters  to  something  like  his  usual  calm- 
ness. Ayer  knew  that  it  must  be  im- 
portant business  that  had  brought 
Peters  in  quest  of  him,  but  wisely  al- 
lowed the  Carolinian  to  take  his  time  in 
stating  the  nature  of  his  errand. 

When  E'razier  had  fully  recovered 
his  breath  he  apologized  for  talking 
about  his  own  annoyances  before  ask- 
ing how  Ayer  was,  but  on  being  assured 
that  his  wounds  were  practically 
healed,  he  settled  himself  comfortably 
with  the  log  at  his  back,  and  taking 
another  sip  of  the  whiskey,  which  he 
pronounced  "  vile,"  but  which  never- 
theless, he  consumed  to  the  last  drop. 
He  told  them  of  the  events  in  Wainhill 
since  the  duel. 

"  Ayer,  you  know  I  used  to  be  a 
pretty  easy-going  fellow,  but  I  assure 


184         Juleps  and  Clover 

you  I  have  not  had  a  moment's  peace 
since  that  duel.  That  morning  I  rose 
early  and  drove  to  Wainhill  to  inspect 
some  horses  that  had  just  arrived,  so  I 
missed  Parker  and  the  doctor  when 
they  came  to  the  house  with  White's 
body,  and  I  did  not  hear  a  word  about 
the  fight  until  that  afternoon. 

"I  reached  the  Metropolitan  Club 
about  lunch  time,  and  found  Colonel  Bel- 
lows, with  two  or  three  other  gentle- 
men there.  It  was  a  powerful  hot  day 
and  we  were  all  thirsty,  so  I  ordered 
Pete  to  make  a  mint  julep. 

"  He's  a  miserable  nigger — that  Pete 
—knows  nothing  about  mixing  drinks, 
but  he  finally  got  some  sort  of  stuff 
stirred  up,  and  we  were  sitting  quietly 
on  the  porch,  sipping  it,  when  who 
should  ride  up  to  the  club  but  Sheriff 
Cook,  and  behind  him  two  or  three 
men  leading  horses. 

"  They  rode  right  over  the  grass  up 
to  the  house,  and  totally  without  invi- 


Juleps  and  Clover          185 

tation  from  us ;  the  sheriff  dismounted 
and  came  unto  the  porch. 
:  "Being  Southern  gentlemen,  we  ig- 
nored this  most  extraordinary  proceed- 
ing, and  invited  him  to  join  us  as  po- 
litely as  we  could.  At  the  same  time 
explaining  just  why  the  julep  happened 
to  be  so  bad. 

"  Instead  of  acting  like  a  gentleman 
and  a  man  of  honor,  this  specimen  of 
poor  white  trash  said  : 

"  '  Drat  your  julep,  sirs ;  I  don't  want 
no  julep — what  I  want  is  men,  and 
mighty  quick  too.  There  has  been 
murder  done  here  this  morning  by  a 
damned  Yankee,  and  he  is  escaping. 

" '  I  summons  you  all  as  citizens  of 
these  yere  United  States  of  America 
to  come  along  with  me  and  catch  him. 

" '  There  are  horses  enough  out  yere 
to  tote  you  all — drunk  or  sober,  to 
Jericho/ 

"  Yes,  sir,"  continued  Peters,  after 
taking  another  pull  at  Baxter's  bad 


186          Juleps  and  Clover 

moonshine  whiskey,  "He  addressed  us 
with  marked  disrespect,  sir,  and  that 
ain't  all.  He  turned  to  Pete,  and  sings 
out  to  him  : 

"  '  Here,  you  nigger,  get  them  there 
men's  hats.  Now  come,  I'll  swear  you 
in  as  we  ride  along.' 

"  We  protested  that  we  were  gentle- 
men, and  could  not  be  expected  to  go 
riding  around  rough  shod  over  the 
country  catching  runaway  Yankees, 
and  besides,  I  hadn't  my  riding  clothes. 
Nothing  but  just  a  light  duck  suit. 
But  Cook  would  not  listen  to  us — as  I 
intimated  before,  he  has  not  the  in- 
stincts of  a  gentleman. 

"  Major  Rathburn  begged  to  be  ex- 
cused, as  he  was  exceedingly  anxious 
concerning  Mrs.  Rathburn's  health. 
He  explained  he  was  just  on  the  point 
of  riding  over  to  Dr.  Mason's  to  confer 
with  him  in  reference  to  Mrs.  Rath- 
burn's  delicate  health,  but  Cook  was 
merciless. 


Juleps  and  Clover  187 

"  During  the  major's  argument  with 
Cook,  Colonel  Bellows  took  a  short  cut 
home,  out  through  the  back  windows 
of  the  club,  but  two  of  the  sheriff's 
men  caught  him  and  fetched  him  back, 
and  swore  him  in  with  the  rest  of  us, 
so  in  the  end,  we  all  had  to  go. 

"  The  sun  was  terrific,  and  we  had  no 
lunch,  and  no  dinner  either  for  that 
matter.  That  night  I  patroled  about 
five  miles  of  road,  and  my  horse  was 
such  a  beast ! 

"Well,  gentlemen,  that  sheriff  gave  us 
no  rest  for  a  week — kept  us  prancing 
all  over  the  country,  until  I  was  worn 
to  skin  and  bone.  I  didn't  get  a  decent 
drink  for  days  at  a  time." 

Peters  heaved  a  reminiscent  sigh  and 
continued  : 

"  The  only  redeeming  feature  about 
the  whole  thing  was  that  we  couldn't 
find  you.  I  didn't  understand  then, 
and  I  don't  now,  Mr.  Ayer,  what  the 
row  was  about,"  holding  up  his  hand 


i88          Juleps  and  Clover 

warningly  as  Ayer  was  about  to  speak 
— "  I  am  not  here  to  inquire ;  but  when 
I  got  home  again  and  saw  Dr.  Mason 
I  learned  that  you  were  pretty  badly 
hurt,  and  probably  could  not  have  had 
strength  enough  to  get  very  far  away. 

"Joy  seemed  delighted  to  have  me 
back,  although  I  must  have  looked  like 
anything  but  a  gentleman,  as  I  had  not 
shaved  for  days,  and  my  duck  suit 
looked,  if  possible,  worse  than  these 
clothes  do. 

"  Well,  to  resume — I  was  in  bed  for  a 
week  or  more.  Doctor  said  it  was  over- 
exertion  in  the  sun.  I  said  it  was  the 
awful  stuff  that  scoundrel  Cook  gave 
us  to  eat  and  drink.  At  any  rate,  when 
I  got  around  again,  matters  were  worse 
than  ever. 

"Clover,  it  seems,  had  been  ill  too, 
and  was  looking  listless  and  pale.  I  did 
not  know  what  the  trouble  with  her 
was,  because  she  is  such  a  close- 
mouthed  girl,  until  yesterday  evening, 


Juleps  and  Clover          189 

when  she  came  home  on  a  gallop  and 
said  she  had  found  out  where  you  were, 
Ayer,  and  that  she  was  going  to  you, 
and  that  I  must  go  with  her.  We 
tried  to  dissuade  her,  but  nothing 
would  do.  She  would  have  gone  alone 
if  I  had  refused. 

"  So  here  I  am,  and  Clover  is  down  at 
the  foot  of  the  valley,  waiting  to  see 
you,  Ayer.  Oh,  such  a  frightful  ride. 
How  she  knew  the  way  is  more  than  I 
can  imagine.  I  have  had  all  the  riding 
I  want  for  a  year  to  come." 

Ayer  sat  for  some  minutes,  buried  in 
thought,  as  Peters  finished,  then  start- 
ing suddenly  to  his  feet,  he  turned 
without  a  word,  and  went  down  the 
path  leading  to  Baxter's  hut,  leaving 
Lee  to  look  after  Peters  as  best  he 
might. 

Frazier  Peters  watched  him  out  of 
sight,  and  then  said  to  Lee : 

"  Do  you  know,  Lee,  it  never  oc- 
curred to  me  until  yesterday,  that  the 


190          Juleps  and  Clover 

quarrel  originated  in  Clover's  careless- 
ness. It  does  beat  all,  how  careless 
some  women  are !  I  had  until  then  be- 
lieved in  the  story  which  has  been  cir- 
culated around  town,  that  it  was  some 
confounded  row  about  North  and  South. 
Joy  said  I  was  blind,  and  I  believe  she 
was  right ;  about  right,  sir." 

As  Ayer  descended  the  valley  lead- 
ing from  Baxter's  house,  his  mind  was 
filled  with  conflicting  emotions.  He 
could  not  refuse  to  see  the  girl  who 
had  braved  so  much  to  come  to  him, 
but  he  felt  that  no  good  could  result 
from  any  interview  with  Clover. 

It  was  cruel  to  be  rough  with  her,  or 
to  reproach  her,  and  more  cruel  still, 
to  be  cold  and  distant.  Relent,  he 
could  not  and  would  not,  when  once 
betrayed  as  he  had  been. 

Clover  Gwynne  saw  him  in  the  dis- 
tance, and  for  a  second  her  face  flushed 
with  pleasure.  She  rose  from  the  rock 
on  which  she  was  seated,  as  Ayer 


Juleps  and  Clover          191 

bravely  approached,  and  with  a  smiling 
face,  she  nodded  welcome. 

They  stood  for  several  moments  look- 
ing into  each  other's  eyes,  without 
speaking.  The  woman  anxiously  noted 
the  traces  that  suffering  had  left  on  the 
face  of  the  man.  At  length  she  said, 
coolly  enough : 

"  You  received  my  note  ?  " 

Ayer  bent  his  head  in  assent,  and 
after  a  pause,  Clover  said : 

"  I  have  not  come  here,  Wallace,  to 
reproach  you,  or  to  ask  anything  of 
you,  as  in  wild  impulse  yesterday,  when 
I  sent  that  note.  I  simply  desire  to 
have  a  talk  with  you,  and  to  set  my- 
self straight  in  your  eyes,  which  is  cer- 
tainly my  right ;  so  whether  you  wish  it 
or  not,  you  must  hear  me  out. 

"  I  want  nothing  from  you  to-day,  ex- 
cept silence.  I  shall  not  bore  you  long." 

"  Miss  Gwynne,"  said  Ayer,  "  I  am 
absolutely  at  your  service.  Only,  do 
not  feel  called  upon  to  make  any  ex- 


192          Juleps  and  Clover 

planations.  None  are  required.  What 
has  been  done,  is  past  and  we  can  only 
forget.  Sometimes  it  is  wiser  not  to 
open  old  wounds,  especially  when  it  can 
serve  no  useful  purpose.  So  I  would 
advise  you  to  tell  me  nothing  which 
you  may  in  after  years  regret.  How- 
ever, I  have  no  bitterness  toward  you — 
none  whatever." 

"  I  appreciate  your  delicacy,  Mr. 
Ayer,"  said  the  girl,  with  a  touch  of 
irony  in  her  tone.  "  But  it  seems  to 
me  that  it  is  serving  a  very  useful  pur- 
pose— to  me  at  least,  if  I  can  regain 
your  respect;  more  than  that,  I  should 
not  dare  to  take,  from  one  so  prone  as 
you,  too  hasty  conclusions. 

"  Don't  you  think,  Wallace,  that  you 
might  have  given  me  a  chance — the  ad- 
vantage of  a  doubt — before  you  con- 
demned me  off-hand,  and  punished  an- 
other ? "  Her  body  shook  with  sup- 
pressed sobs.  She  hesitated  a  moment, 
and  continued: 


Juleps  and  Clover          193 

"  But  stay — this  is  not  what  I  came 
to  say — it  is  too  much  in  line  with  the 
way  in  which  you  talked  to  me  on  a 
certain  occasion. 

"Listen  to  me,  and  you  shall  hear 
this  story  truthfully.  I  have  known 
Harvey  White  all  my  life.  His  uncle 
owned  the  adjoining  plantation  to  ours, 
in  Georgia.  We  grew  up  together,  and 
even  as  children,  we  were  great  friends ; 
but  I  never  knew  any  stronger  feeling 
for  him  or  any  other  man,  until  my 
father,  who  is  a  proud  and  stern  man, 
and  who,  despising  the  Whites,  con- 
temptuously included  Harvey  in  his 
denunciation  with  the  rest  of  the  White 
family. 

"As  I  was  saying,  until  my  father 
called  me  in  one  day  from  the  veranda, 
where  I  was  sitting  with  Harvey,  who 
had  just  called,  and  informed  me  that 
4 1  was  no  longer  a  child,  and  must  as- 
sociate with  none  but  my  equals.' 

"  As  there  was  no  one  of  that  descrip- 


194          Juleps  and  Clover 

tion,  in  his  opinion,  for  miles  around, 
this  meant  no  companions  for  me  what- 
ever, except  the  rare  occasions  when 
visitors  from  a  distance  came  to  visit 
us,  and  stayed  for  weeks  at  a  time. 

"  I  obeyed  my  father  about  a  week, 
and  then  met  Harvey  half  by  accident. 
He  laughed  my  father's  orders  to  scorn, 
and  convinced  me  that  I  had  no  spirit 
if  I  submitted. 

"I  had  no  mother  to  advise  me,  no 
sister  of  which  to  make  a  confidant,  and 
my  two  brothers,  being  older,  only  no- 
ticed me  when  they  wanted  to  find  fault 
or  tease  me. 

"  To  be  brief,  I  got  into  the  habit  of 
meeting  Harvey  secretly  and  often.  I 
was  lonely,  and  craved  sympathy.  He 
had  known  my  mother,  and  I  used  to 
love  to  talk  of  her  to  him.  I  never 
dared  to  mention  her  name  to  father. 
My  old  black  mammy  had  warned  me 
not  to  mention  her,  for  his  grief  was  so 
intense  they  despaired  of  his  sanity  for 


Juleps  and  Clover          195 

months  after  her  death,  and  mammy- 
had  to  lock  my  mother's  rooms  up — we 
children  used  always  to  walk  on  tiptoe, 
and  look  over  our  shoulders,  when  we 
passed  those  locked  doors. 

"  Little  by  little,  Harvey  became  my 
hero,  just  in  proportion,  as  it  became 
difficult  to  see  him.  In  my  foolish  im- 
agination, I  invested  him  with  attri- 
butes, the  poor  fellow  certainly  did  not 
possess.  When  at  last  my  father  dis- 
covered my  disobedience,  he  said  not  a 
word,  but  sent  me  post-haste  to  a 
boarding  school  in  Richmond.  Harvey 
came  into  his  money  shortly  after  this, 
and  went  to  Richmond  also,  ostensibly 
to  study.  I  had  but  few  chances  to  see 
him  there,  but  he  was  seldom  out  of  my 
thoughts. 

"And  so  it  has  gone  on  for  years. 
Harvey  always  declared  that  he  loved 
me,  and  I  believe  he  did — but  he  never 
seemed  anxious  to  marry  me.  Except, 
that  it  was  tacitly  understood  that 


196         Juleps  and  Clover 

somewhere  in  the  vague  distant  future 
we  should  be  married,  and  until  that 
time  came,  each  was  to  be  free.  Harvey 
however,  always  followed  me  around  the 
country — just  as  he  came  to  Wainhill 
last  month — though  he  came  here,  I 
must  admit,  in  consequence  of  a  too 
frequent  mention  of  a  certain  Wallace 
Ayer  in  my  letters. 

"  You  are  probably  wishing  to  ask  me 
whether  I  loved  Harvey  White,  or  not. 
I  can  scarcely  answer — anxious  as  I  am 
to  conceal  nothing  from  you. 

"  Still,  I  suppose  I  did  give  Harvey  the 
love  that  comes  more  from  habit  and 
association  than  from  spontaneous  sym- 
pathy— the  sort  of  love  that  must  love 
something,  and  which  turns  to  whatever 
object  is  close  at  hand — the  first  love — 
the  half  love  of  a  child. 

"  In  the  light  of  these  terrible  weeks 
just  passed,  I  have  realized  that  I  loved 
Harvey  White  because  he  represented 
'  man '  to  me.  When  you  came  into  my 


Juleps  and  Clover          197 

life,  I  saw  the  mighty  difference  between 
what  I  had  imagined  love  to  be,  and 
what  it  actually  is.  I  loved  you  because 
it  was  heaven  on  earth  to  be  with  you. 

"  My  whole  being  seemed  attuned  to 
the  music  of  the  heavenly  spheres,  when 
I  thought  of  you.  The  mere  touch  of 
your  hand  thrilled  me  from  head  to  foot. 
I  used  to  get  up  at  break  of  day,  steal 
out  of  the  house,  and  climb  to  the  top 
of  the  woodland  hill  beyond  the  pool, 
and  holding  high  my  arms  to  the  rosy 
east,  shout  to  the  rising  sun,  my  great 
love  for  you.  My  heart  was  so  full  of 
its  wonderful  new  happiness,  it  seemed 
to  me  that  nothing  but  the  sea,  sky  and 
air  was  big  enough  to  hold  it  all." 

Clover  sank  to  the  ground.  She 
seemed  to  have  been  unaware  of  the 
presence  of  her  auditor.  Suddenly  she 
looked  up  from  where  she  knelt,  and 
said : 

"  I  see  polite,  well-bred  disbelief  ex- 
pressed in  your  face,  but  because  you 


198         Juleps  and  Clover 

cold-hearted,  restrained  Northerners  can- 
not understand,  and  are  not  equal  to  a 
warmth  of  feeling,  such  as  we  know, 
you  should — I  must  ask  that  you  with- 
hold your  judgment  until  I  finish,  and 
then — but  I  care  little  what  your  judg- 
ment may  be  now. 

"  I  find  myself  taking  a  strange  delight 
in  letting  you  know  how  much  I  have 
loved  you. 

"  But  where  was  I  in  my  story,  that  I 
came  to  tell,"  and  she  smiled  like  a 
corpse.  "  Oh  yes !  so  matters  drifted 
on — just  as  for  a  while  we  drifted,  you 
and  I,  neither  of  us  caring  whither  the 
current  led. 

"  My  father  was  mortified,  but  he  was 
growing  old,  and  could  not  control  me. 
My  friends  were  scandalized,  and  there 
is  no  disguising  the  fact,  that  many  un- 
kind and  untrue  things  were  said  of  me 
— some  people  think  a  woman  cannot 
have  a  man's  devotions  and  have  noth- 
ing more. 


Juleps  and  Clover          199 

"  But  I  cared  little  for  what  the  world 
said,  although  when  last  month  I  saw 
that  Howard  Lee  believed  those  silly 
tales,  it  did  hurt  me  just  a  bit.  During 
all  this  time,  I  have  had  many  other 
men  devoted  to  me,  but  Harvey  was 
always  at  my  elbow,  ready  to  do  my 
slightest  bidding,  and  he  never  quite 
lost  control  of  me.  The  control  that  I 
gladly  yielded,  for  his  was  a  strong, 
coarse  nature,  that  answered  to  some- 
thing in  mine. 

"  He  was  good  to  lean  upon ;  and  then, 
he  seemed  always  to  be  standing  in  the 
background,  with  that  provoking,  con- 
temptuous smile  of  his,  at  any  one's  pre- 
suming to  aspire  to  the  girl  of  whom  he 
felt  so  sure." 

Clover  dropped  down  exhausted ; 
resting  on  one  knee,  she  looked  at  Ayer 
beseechingly : 

"  You  said  when  you  reproached  me 
that  evening  by  the  pool,  that  you  could 
forgive  everything  but  the  lie  I  told 


2oo          Juleps  and  Clover 

you,  when  I  said  I  loved  you.  It  was 
no  lie.  It  was  true.  Beautiful  and 
true.  And  I  am  left  wondering  where 
such  a  gorgeous  fabric  has  gone — for- 
gone it  is :  like  a  thief  in  the  night,  it 
has  stolen  away,  and  I  am  left  desolate, 
with  all  the  broken  bits  of  my  beautiful 
rainbow  lying  in  a  heap  at  my  feet. 
What  have  you  done  with  it?  What 
have  you  done  to  me?  What  have  you 
done  to  the  playmate  of  my  childhood  ? 

"  The  love  I  had  given  him  before  I 
knew  you,  did  not  beggar  you.  You ! 
you !  "  she  cried,  as  she  now  strode  back 
and  forth  in  front  of  him,  with  all  the 
animal  intensity  of  a  caged  tigress. 

"  You,  to  exact  absolute  inexperience 
from  the  girl  you  do  the  high  honor  to 
offer  the  sharing  of  your  life.  Can  you 
name  all  the  women  in  whom  you  have 
been  interested?  Can  you  number 
your  love  affairs  ?  " 

Clover  waited  for  him  to  answer. 
Ayer's  head  was  bowed  on  his  arms. 


Juleps  and  Clover          201 

He  made  a  motion  of  dissent,  without 
looking  up,  and  she  went  on : 

"  It  is  all  over  now,  and  I  see  clearly 
what  made  me  care  for  you ;  for  there 
is  no  use  denying  that  I  did  care  for 
you.  You  came  from  a  world  in  which 
I  had  never  lived.  A  world  that  was 
mine  by  right  of  birth  and  beauty.  A 
world  that  I  had  dreamed  of.  You 
taught  me  in  that  world  of  yours  that 
there  was  something  more  to  life  than 
provincial  dandies  and  a  languid  exist- 
ence in  the  shade  of  a  plantation  porch. 
I  thought  my  past  over.  It  looked  full 
of  nothingness  and  petty  flirtations ; 
with  one  great  strong  infatuation,  which 
had  overshadowed  all  else,  which  had 
nearly  broken  my  father's  heart,  and 
tarnished  my  name,  young  as  I  was.  I 
determined  to  break  with  it  and  him 
forever.  And  I  turned  to  you,  Wallace 
Ayer,  for  aid. 

"  Harvey  White  had  become  hateful 
to  me;  all  things  associated  with  him 


202          Juleps  and  Clover 

became  hateful,  and  jet — I  distrusted 
the  strength  of  his  influence  over  me — 
but  what  if  I  loved  him  after  all  ?  and 
what  if  this  feeling  for  you,  was  only 
another  passing  fondness,  I  argued. 
So,  when  he  came  to  Petersdale  last 
mouth,  I  met  him  unchanged  in  de- 
meanor. I  saw  him  again  and  again — 
repeatedly — often  when  you  had  no  sus- 
picion of  it,  and  each  interview  con- 
firmed me  in  my  abhorrence  of  his 
personality. 

"  Can't  you  understand  my  need  to 
know  the  truth,  Mr.  Ayer?  After  all, 
it  was  only  justice  to  you. 

"  With  a  Southern  man  in  your  place, 
I  would  have  told  him  the  entire  story, 
feeling  sure  that  he  would  have  for- 
given me,  but  you  were  so  pitiless  and 
cold.  The  very  anecdotes  you  told 
from  time  to  time,  warned  me  that  con- 
cealment was  my  only  chance  to  retain 
your  respect,  and  this  deception,  be- 
lieve me,  was  the  only  sin  I  committed 


Juleps  and  Clover          203 

against  my  love  for  you.  Absolutely, 
the  only  one.  I  feared  to  trust  your 
magnanimity  and  your  boasted  knowl- 
edge of  a  woman's  heart. 

"  There  is  little  more  to  say,  except 
that  when  you  burst  upon  me  in  the 
growing  dark,  I  was  thinking,  and 
thinking  oh !  so  earnestly,  of  how  I 
could  go  to  you,  and  ask  your  help — 
ask  you  to  take  me  away  from  Wainhill 
— away  from  the  South,  and  poor  Har- 
vey White. 

"As  he  talked  to  me  while  you  lay 
listening,  I  was  thinking  how  different 
he  was  from  my  chosen  lover,  the  man 
whom  I  adored,  and  then — you  came 
'upon  me,  white  with  anger,  and  as  deaf 
to  reason  as  this  log ;  I  saw  that  I  was 
mistaken  in  you  too. 

"  I  feared,  for  a  moment  you  meant 
to  kill  me — before  you  stopped  talking; 
I  hoped  you  would. 

"  A  man  such  as  you  could  not  under- 
stand me :  rny  emotions  and  affections 


204         Juleps  and  Clover 

are  too  complex — you  do  not  under- 
stand, or  believe  me  now." 

Clover  finished  the  last  words  softly 
with  a  persuasive  note  of  sadness  in  her 
voice,  as  though  half  hoping  he  would 
make  some  overtures  of  reconciliation. 
As  she  waited  for  him  to  answer,  she 
looked  at  him  appealingly,  and  her 
hands  twitched  nervously  at  her  riding 
habit.  While  she  waited,  the  moments 
seemed  to  lengthen  into  years. 

Finally,  he  raised  his  head  and  looked 
over  and  beyond  her  into  the  hazy  blue 
of  the  mist,  hanging  on  the  opposite 
mountain  side.  He  hesitated.  She 
listened  to  his  inarticulate  protestations 
and  scrutinized  his  face  closely.  Then 
she  rose  and  said,  with  chilling  hauteur: 

"  Say  no  more,  Mr.  Ayer.  I  did  not 
expect  anything  but  the  hearing  I  have 
fortunately  been  grafted.  I  did  not 
come  with  the  expectation  that  you 
would  believe  me.  I  know  nothing  can 
change  matters  now,  but  there  will 


Juleps  and  Clover          205 

come  a  day  when  your  pride  and  self- 
sufficiency  will  fail  you,  and  then  per- 
haps, you  will  understand. 

"I  am  going  back  with  Mr.  Peters 
— poor  man — he  is  quite  worn  out. 
Please  go  tell  him  that  I  am  waiting 
for  him." 

Ayer  sat  in  silence  and  let  the  re- 
quest go  by  unheeded.  Clover  re- 
peated it,  and  he  looked  up.  She  added, 
coolly : 

"  You  are  trying  to  think  of  some- 
thing to  say  to  me  that  will  pacify  me, 
and  at  the  same  time,  let  you  off  easily 
and  gracefully.  Don't  be  so  punctili- 
ous, pray.  Your  society  manners  are 
hardly  adequate  for  an  occasion  such  as 
this.  It's  rather  late  in  the  day,  don't 
you  think  to  begin  trying  to  save  my 
feelings  in  this  matter,"  she  sneered. 

"Suppose  you  dp  what  you  asked  me 
to  do,  the  last  time  we  met.  '  Obey 
without  further  conversation.'  We  have 
each  explained  things  to  the  other  and 


206          Juleps  and  Clover 

I,  at  least,  have  nothing  more  to  say,  or 
to  listen  to ;  may  I  again  request  you 
to  call  Mr.  Peters,  as  it  is  growing 
late? 

"  No,  I  won't  go  to  the  house,  thank 
you.  Good-bye,  Mr.  Ayer." 

A  few  minutes  later,  Mr.  Peters  found 
Clover  Gwynne  waiting  for  him  on  her 
horse,  which  she  had  mounted  without 
help.  He  looked  curiously  at  her  face, 
but  she  kept  it  turned  away  from  him, 
and  rode  in  front  all  the  way  down  the 
narrow  bridle-path,  until  they  were  far 
from  Buck  Mountain,  and  the  night  had 
fallen. 

But  Frazier  Peters,  as  he  watched  the 
youthful  figure  in  front  of  him,  saw 
enough  to  make  him  shake  his  head 
sadly,  and  as  he  murmured  pityingly  to 
himself: 

"  Poor  little  girl,  poor  little  girl — and 
we  were  all  so  happy  this  summer.  I 
don't  understand  the  way  things  are  run 
in  this  world.  It  doesn't  seem  fair  to 


Juleps  and  Clover          207 

her — and  then  that  Northerner —  It's 
all  very  fine,  to  look  after  honor,  but 
it's  mighty  tiresome  when  they  make 
such  an  infernal  row  about  it." 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Whose  secret  Presence,  through  Creation's  veins 
Running  Quicksilver-like  eludes  your  pains ; 
Taking  all  shapes  from  Mah  to  Mahi ;  and 
They  change  and  perish  all — but  He  remains ; 

A  moment  guess'd — then  back  behind  the  Fold 
Immerst  of  Darkness  round  the  Drama  roll'd 
Which,  for  the  Pastime  of  Eternity, 
He  doth  Himself  contrive,  enact,  behold. 

Omar  Khayyam. 

AYER  returned  to  his  friends  in  a 
very  sullen  mood,  and  it  was  only  with 
the  utmost  difficulty  that  Baxter  and 
Lee  could  induce  him  to  discuss  plans 
for  leaving  the  country ;  a  move  that 
Lee  well  knew  must  be  made  at  once. 

"  It's  quite  wrong  to  Baxter's  family 
here,"  urged  Lee,  "  to  expose  them  to 
the  chance  of  having  a  fight  with  the 
sheriff.  Then,  if  you  are  taken,  a  trial 
will  be  additional  scandal  and  would 
208 


Juleps  and  Clover          209 

probably  compromise  Miss  Gwynne  be- 
yond redemption.  You  ought  to  think 
of  that  too,  after  her  plucky  conduct 
to-day,  Wallace. 

*'  It's  all  very  well  to  say  that  you're 
not  afraid  of  Richard  White,  but  what 
good  can  result  of  more  bloodshed  ? 

"Why  will  you  not  come  to  Canada 
with  me,  as  we  originally  planned,  and 
let  this  row  blow  over.  There  is  noth- 
ing to  be  gained  by  staying  here." 

"I  suppose  that  you're  right, 
Howard,"  said  Ayer,  in  an  ugly  mood. 
"  I  hate  this  country,  and  will  be  glad 
to  leave  it ;  but  on  the  other  hand,  I 
hate  the  appearance  of  running  away. 
I'm  no  coward." 

This  was  trying  Lee's  unselfish  pa- 
tience a  bit  too  far.  He  had  run  the 
risk  of  offending  for  life,  his  old  time 
friends,  had  nursed  Ayer  through  three 
weeks  of  hardship,  and  felt  he  owed 
some  deference  to  his  judgment.  For 
the  first  time,  through  all  the  trouble 


2io         Juleps  and  Clover 

in  which  they  had  been  involved  by 
Ayer's  impetuosity,  he  answered  him 
impatiently : 

"Very  well  then,  stay  here,  if  you 
want  to,  but  White  is  certain  to  track 
us  down.  I  don't  suppose  you're  fool 
enough  to  give  yourself  up  to  be  tried 
by  a  jury,  drawn  from  a  section  in 
which  Harvey  White  was  so  popular. 

"Baxter  and  his  boys  will  take  a 
hand  in  the  fight  and  there  will  be 
half  a  dozen  innocent  men  killed,  and 
the  rest  of  us  very  properly  hanged. 
Why  won't  you  act  reasonably,  old 
man,  and  go  to  Canada  while  you  can 
get  away  quietly.  Once  there,  you  can 
remain  in  peace  through  the  winter, 
and  get  entirely  over  your  wounds. 

"  If  White  is  really  so  anxious  to  find 
us,  he  can  easily  follow  us  into  the 
woods  up  there,  and  we'll  meet  him  on 
equal  terms.  So  come,  let's  start  to- 
night," and  Ayer  yielded  a  reluctant 
consent. 


Juleps  and  Clover          211 

They  made  immediate  preparations 
for  their  departure,  taking  food,  pro- 
visions and  some  of  Baxter's  bad  moon- 
shine liquor,  in  order  that  they  might 
not  be  forced  to  call  upon  untrust- 
worthy strangers  for  sustenance. 

Baxter  accompanied  them  to  a  remote 
railroad  station  toward  the  West,  guid- 
ing them  across  the  mountains  by  lonely 
roads  in  the  night. 

As  a  matter  of  due  precaution,  two 
of  Baxter's  sons — leaving  one  on  guard 
at  home — accompanied  them  with  their 
trusty  guns,  until  they  were  well  away 
from  the  suspected  neighborhood.  The 
journey  was  a  fatiguing  one,  and  peril- 
ous for  Ayer,  lasting  nearly  a  week,  on 
account  of  their  having  to  proceed  so 
slowly,  but  it  was  finished  at  last,  and 
the  small  town  of  Pacton  reached  just 
before  daybreak. 

Leaving  the  two  friends  in  hiding  on 
the  outskirts  of  the  little  settlement, 
the  mountaineer  rode  to  the  railway 


212          Juleps  and  Clover 

station  and  learned  that  the  Knoxville 
Express  was  due  in  an  hour. 

He  had  great  difficulty  in  persuading 
the  station  agent  to  flag  the  train,  but 
finally  succeeded  in  overcoming  his  re- 
luctance with  a  two  dollar  bill. 

A  silent,  sleepy  looking  fellow  lying 
on  a  bench  in  a  dusty  corner  of  the 
waiting-room,  exhibited  deep  concern 
in  the  conversation.  Baxter  had  not 
failed  to  observe  him. 

"  You  uns  kin  jist  git  on  the  train  an' 
leave  ter  me  the  fixin'  o'  him,"  said 
Baxter  on  his  return. 

The  train  was  flagged,  and  after  bid- 
ing Baxter  good-bye,  Ayer  and  Lee 
mounted  the  platform,  and  as  the  train 
slowly  drew  out,  Lee  brought  to  Ayer's 
notice,  the  figure  slouching  carelessly 
in  the  doorway,  saying  : 

"  Baxter  will  keep  an  eye  on  him, 
never  fear." 

And  Baxter  did.  Even  while  he  as- 
sisted Ayer  on  the  moving  train,  old 


Juleps  and  Clover          213 

Baxter  had  one  eye  on  the  stranger, 
and  one  hand  on  the  trigger  of  his 
trusty  gun. 

As  the  train  thundered  away  and 
disappeared  in  a  cloud  of  dust,  the  man 
shuffled  over  to  where  the  telegraph 
ticked  spasmodically  in  the  corner.  As 
he  reached  out  his  hand  to  the  instru- 
ment, Baxter,  who  had  slipped  up 
silently  behind  him,  knocked  his  arm 
up  in  the  air. 

The  man  started  nervously,  and 
looked  over  his  shoulder. 

"  I  reckon  you'd  jist  as  well  come 
along  'o  me,  young  feller,"  said  the 
mountaineer. 

"  Who  the  devil  are  you  ?  Why 
should  I  go  with  you  ? "  replied  the 
other  in  astonishment. 

"  This  is  why,"  said  the  mountaineer, 
grimly  tapping  the  lock  of  his  long 
rifle  with  a  significance  that  was  not 
lost  on  the  amateur  detective.  The 
latter  glanced  at  the  station  agent — the 


214          Juleps  and  Clover 

only  man  stirring  at  that  early  hour — 
in  mute  appeal  for  aid,  but  that  worthy 
person  was  wise  in  his  generation  and 
knew  the  mountaineers  too  well.  He 
was  absorbed  in  contemplation  of  the 
luxurious  crop  of  jimpson-weed,  which 
could  be  seen  from  the  narrow-paned 
window. 

"Come,"  said  Baxter,  and  the  man 
passed  out  of  the  door  into  the  gray 
mists  of  the  morning,  with  the  gaunt 
figure  of  the  determined  mountaineer 
treading  on  his  heels,  prodding  him 
none  too  gently,  now  and  then  with  the 
muzzle  of  his  rifle. 

A  farmer  driving  a  cow  to  pasture, 
in  an  outlying  settlement,  a  little  after 
sunrise  that  morning,  saw  a  scared,  dust 
covered  man  mounted  on  a  mule  and 
leading  a  horse,  while  behind  him  rode 
a  threatening  form  clad  in  mountaineer's 
clothes,  and  carrying  a  rifle  of  extra- 
ordinary length,  urging  him  on  toward 
the  mountains. 


Juleps  and  Clover          215 

This  was  all  the  news  of  his  young 
detective  that  Mr.  Richard  White  was 
able  to  gather,  on  his  visit  of  investiga- 
tion to  Pacton,  a  few  days  later. 

"  And  if  the  wine  you  drink,  the  lip  you  press, 
End  in  what  All  begins  and  ends  in — Yes ; 
Think  then  you  are  TO-DAY  what  YESTERDAY 
You  were — TO-MORROW  you  shall  not  be  less." 
Omar  Khayyam. 


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BY 

W.    HEIMBURG 

AUTHOR   OF 

"My  Heart's  Darling,"    "Her  Only  Brother,"    "  Tales  of 
an  Old  Castle,"  Etc.,  Etc. 

ww 

"  The  story  is  true  to  life  in  some  of  its  manifold 
phases  and  will  repay  reading." — Minneapolis 
Tribune. 

"  It  is  written  in  the  usual  entertaining  style  of 
this  well  known  author." — Boston  Courier. 

"  Very  good  reading." — New  Orleans  Picayune. 

"The  action  is  vigorous  and  the  story  is  interest- 
ing."—Public  Opinion." 

"Capital  story  by  an  established  favorite." — 
Philadelphia  American. 

"  Is  a  charming  German  story  by  the  author  of 
"Heart's  Darling,"  "Good  Luck,"  "  Her  Only 
Brother,"  etc." — Southern  Star. 

"It  possesses  the  positive  virtue  of  being  pure 
and  wholesome  in  sentiment.'' — Detroit  Free  Press. 

"  It  comprises  all  the  many  qualities  of  romance 
that  recommend  all  Heimburg's  other  stories." — 
New  Haven  Journal. 

"  It  is  simple,  but  dignified  and  free  from  any  of 
those  smirches  that  suggest  the  presence  of  vice  and 
impurity." — N.  Y.  Home  Journal. 


NEW   YORK 

R.  F.  FENNO  &  COMPANY 


UCLA-Young  Research   Library 

PS3314  .W645J 

y 


L  009  618  818  0 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIB^YFACLITY 


AA    001314373    o 


